The Dating Game
by Rumaan
Summary: Desperate to nullify President Snow's threat to Gale, Katniss finds herself telling a lie that embroils two of her closest friends into a game she's already forced to play.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this is a new departure for me, but The Hawthorne Whisperer over at tumblr, not content at dragging me into one new ship, also dragged me into Gadge and this was the result.**

**This is the first time I've written anything in The Hunger Games world, so please be kind and I have tried to be true to characterisation, although there were times when they refused to play ball.**

**This first chapter is a little bit choppy, so apologies for that. It also relies very heavily on the canon conversation between President Snow and Katniss, with most of the dialogue coming straight out of the book as well as some of the thoughts/actions of Katniss.**

**I'm British and whilst I have made an effort to try and 'Americanise' my dialogue, I've stuck to UK spellings because I would most likely forget to change it half the time and then each chapter would be a mix of UK/US spellings, so I've gone for consistency.**

**A big massive thanks to swirlsofblack for beta'ing this fic for me despite have very little knowledge of the series. The grammar and flow is so much better thanks to her contribution.**

**Also thank you to the aforementioned Hawthorne Whisperer who patiently answered questions and listened to my rambling aimlessly on about aspects of this fic. Also thank you to Jeeno2 who was very supportive when I mentioned venturing into this fandom.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Suzanne Collins, this fic was written purely for fun and no profit has been made from it.**

* * *

"Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it," Katniss said, her heart pounding as she looked across the table to where President Snow sat, his cold eyes watching her.

"If only it were that simple." He picked up one of the flowered cookies her mother had brought in with the tea just a moment ago and examined it. "Lovely. Your mother made these?"

"Peeta did." And for the first time since she'd walked into the room, Katniss found that she was unable to hold President Snow's gaze. She reached for her tea but sat it back down, the cup rattling against the saucer. To cover her nervousness, she grabbed a cookie.

"Peeta. And how _is_ the love of your life?" he asked.

"Good," Katniss replied.

"At what point did he realise the exact degree of your indifference?" he asked, dipping the cookie into his tea.

"I'm not indifferent," Katniss said.

"But perhaps you are not as taken with the young man as you would have the country believe," he said.

"Who says I'm not?"

"I do," said the president. "I wouldn't be here if I were the only person who had doubts. How's the handsome cousin?"

"I don't know...I don't…" Katniss broke off, unable to continue and repulsed at having to discuss the two people she cared most about with President Snow.

"Speak, Miss Everdeen. Gale,is it not? I can easily kill him off if we don't come to a happy resolution. You aren't doing him a favour by disappearing into the woods together each Sunday."

For one small beat of her heart, Katniss' mind was blank. She was unable to think beyond the cookie that she held in her hand. It was shaped like a tiger lily, she noted abstractly before the implication of President Snow's words really hit her.

He knew about the woods, which meant that he must know what they do in the woods. It was no secret that Gale and Katniss went hunting; they would return each Sunday night loaded with game – they had done it for years. Anyone could have told the president that. But if he was not concerned with the hunting, then what else did he think Katniss did with Gale in the woods? Had the Capitol been tracking them there? That would be impossible, at least if they did it by foot. That left the obvious answer of cameras, which had never crossed Katniss' mind until that moment.

If they did have cameras in the woods, then how long had they been there? Had they only just been following Katniss around since she had returned to District 12 a victor? Or had they been there before, watching as she and Gale hunted and spoke treason against the Capitol?

What else had the cameras picked up? Katniss' heart skipped a beat as she realised just why President Snow could be threatening Gale. Had he seen? Had they somehow been spotted?

Katniss herself still wasn't sure what that kiss had meant. She had not been prepared for the way Gale had suddenly pressed his lips against hers, or for the way they had been so warm and soft. It had been unexpected, and almost as if sensing her surprise, Gale had muttered something about just needing to know before he had disappeared, leaving Katniss in a swirl of undecipherable emotion.

She had remained shaken up until she had seen Gale the Sunday after. All week she had worried that he would demand her commitment to something. Would he refuse to be her friend if she told him how confused she was?

Then there was Peeta – for all intents and purposes, they were a couple. The Capitol certainly thought they were, and while they might have been met with some scepticism by the people of District 12, who had eyed her and Gale askance, Katniss knew there was no going back on the pretence. At least not until there were a few more Hunger Games between them and their victory, but would Gale understand that?

However, it had never come up. She had met Gale as usual and he had said nothing. Her own conflicted feelings meant that she was never going to willingly bring the topic up and she had gratefully followed his lead and not mentioned the whole thing, happy to try and forget that it had ever happened.

Until now.

"Please don't hurt Gale," she whispered. "He's just my friend. He's been my friend for years. That's all there is between us. Besides, everyone thinks we're cousins."

Katniss could see the doubt in President Snow's cold eyes. She had caused this. By trying to pretend the Games had never happened, she had brought the president and his threats down on those she loved. By ignoring Peeta and trying to pick things up with Gale as if she had never stepped foot in that arena had brought them all into danger: Gale, his family, her family and Peeta, all because of her own carelessness.

"Besides," Katniss found herself saying, "Gale is dating someone."

President Snow tilted his head slightly to the side and she took it as encouragement to continue. She had to do this. She needed to make sure nothing would happen to Gale.

"He's been seeing her for a while."

"And who is the lucky girl?"

"Madge. Madge Undersee." The name flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"The Mayor's daughter?" he asked.

"Yes…yes," Katniss stuttered, desperately trying to work out how she could spin this so it was even a little bit believable. "They've kept it a secret. Madge is worried that her father won't understand."

The small smile on the president's lips caused her to stop. He didn't believe her. She knew he didn't. Mayor Undersee's daughter and a boy from the Seam… Even an outsider like President Snow would see it for the lie it was.

However, it appeared the president was happy to humour her lie.

"I see," he said. "Well, perhaps I should inform Mayor Undersee and suggest that he show the young couple some mercy. After all, we cannot help who we fall in love with, can we, Katniss?"

Katniss shook her head and tried her hardest to hide her agitation. If President Snow went to the Mayor then this whole relationship would have to play out the same way that hers and Peeta's did. Had she just condemned Gale and Madge to the same charade?

"Hopefully, once your cousin's love life is sorted out, there will be improvement in your dynamic with Peeta, thereby affecting the mood in the districts," he said.

"I will make sure it is on the tour. I'll be in love with him just as I was," Katniss said.

"Just as you are," President Snow corrected.

"Just as I am," she confirmed.

"Only you'll have to do even better if the uprisings are to be averted," he said. "This tour will be your only chance to turn things around."

"I know. I will. I'll convince everyone in the districts that I wasn't defying the Capitol, that I was crazy with love," she said.

President Snow rose and dabbed his puffy lips with a napkin. "Aim higher in case you fall short."

Katniss was confused and asked, "What do you mean? How can I aim higher?"

"Convince _me_," he said, as he dropped the napkin and retrieved his book.

Katniss couldn't watch as he headed to the door so she flinched when he suddenly appeared by her side and started whispering in her ear. "Just make sure your cousin remembers how lucky a boy he is to have such a beautiful and refined girlfriend. We wouldn't want anything to go sour between them because of any stray kisses," the president said, before he exited the room.

Katniss stayed stock still for a moment, her breath trapped in her chest, the hint of blood lingering in the air around her. Her mind was taken up by the realisation that the smell of blood had been on President Snow's breath and she wondered if he drank it.

Then the horrifying realisation of what had just happened fully hit her. Gale would be safe for the immediate future in the mine, and out of the way, but Madge wasn't. Katniss heard the president's car start up and she knew she had moments before he descended onto the Mayor's household and an unsuspecting Madge.

For once, Katniss was grateful to have a telephone. She usually only ever used it to chat with Cinna, having no need to talk with Peeta or Madge over a telephone line (Haymitch's house sported a hole in the wall where his telephone had once been).

Darting out of the room towards the kitchen, where the telephone was located, Katniss barely missed mowing her mother down. "Is everything all right, Katniss?" she asked.

"It's fine," she said, not having time to fully ease her mother's nerves. "I just need to remind Madge about something really quickly," she tacked onto the end before disappearing around the corner and into the kitchen.

Katniss bounced on her toes as she tapped the numbers into the telephone and waited for a connection. Finally, the Undersee's maid picked up and Katniss asked to speak to Madge.

As she listened to the woman's footsteps fade away, Katniss worried about just exactly what she could say. If the president knew about her kiss with Gale in the woods, then this phone line was probably bugged. She needed to work out how to convey what she had said regarding Gale to Madge without raising any red flags with those who were probably listening.

There was a clatter of noise at the other end and the receiver was picked up once more.

"Hello?" Madge said.

"Madge, its Katniss."

"Katniss? Shouldn't you be with your prep team?"

"They're not here yet. They will be soon. I just needed to tell you something quickly."

"Is everything okay? You sound a little breathless."

"Oh yes, it's fine. I just wanted to tell you that your…little…er…problem regarding Gale is going to be okay. Someone is coming to help solve it."

There was a pause at the other end of the line and Katniss could tell that Madge was trying to decipher her words and felt relieved that she obviously knew that something was wrong.

"Right. Gale. Does your cousin know?"

Katniss gave a little smile. Madge knew that Gale was not her cousin and this was her way of letting Katniss know that she was on alert for any situation involving him.

"He's still at work and won't be finished for a while yet. He will miss my departure."

"No problem. I'll make sure to tell him then."

"Great. I need to go now. My prep team will be here any minute. Thanks, Madge."

"I'll see you later," Madge said, and Katniss rang off.

She heard her mother's footsteps coming back from clearing away the tea. "Katniss? You're still here? Is everything all right with Madge?"

"Oh yes. She's fine."

"And the president…?" her mother trailed off.

Katniss knew she could not burden her mother with President Snow's threats. She did not want her to know just how dangerous their situation was. "Yes, we never see it on the television, but the president always visits the victors before the tour to wish them luck," she said airily with a smile.

Her mother's face flooded with relief. "Oh, I thought there was some kind of trouble, especially as you tore off to call Madge afterwards."

"No, none at all," she said. "The trouble will start when my prep team sees how I've let my eyebrows grow back in."

Her mother laughed and Katniss couldn't help but think that there was no going back now. She had taken control of the family at the age of eleven and there was no giving it back.

"Why don't I start you a bath?" her mother asked.

"Great," Katniss said.

Her mother was obviously pleased with that response and started to make her way up to the bathroom.

Katniss could only hope that Madge would be able to reassure her own parents as easily. She had managed to put her friend in quite a position, but she could not be sorry for it. If it kept Gale safe from the president's threats, then it would be worth it. She only hoped that Madge would understand.

Gale's reaction did not bear thinking about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos for the first chapter. I'm thrilled that you are all so enthusiastic about the premise of this fic.

Many thanks also to swirlsofblack for her continued help in sorting out my SPaG.

* * *

Madge put the phone down with a perplexed look. She had been surprised when Martha called for her, telling her she was wanted on the phone. Madge never received phone calls. She didn't even need her fingers to count her friends – she could use her thumbs for that. There was Katniss, and, since he had returned from the 74th Hunger Games, there was Peeta, too. That was it.

Oh, she was friendly with a few of the merchant girls, but had never felt an affinity with any of them, as they were only too happy to put Madge up on a pedestal. She was the girl who had visited the Capitol (albeit once when she was eight) and whose father was one of the few (and most high ranking) government officials to come from District 12.

It set the Undersees apart, although Madge wished it didn't.

Then there was the fact that the only other people who had a phone in the District were the victors, but they never used them, not even to call Madge. Of course, it meant she knew who was on the other line. There was only one person it could be and if Katniss was calling then it meant that something was wrong.

Once the phone call was over, Madge was still in the dark. She was glad that Katniss had the sense not to say what was wrong outright over the phone – the Capitol bugged all the lines to the Districts – but it meant that Madge only had a vague idea that something wasn't right. It involved Gale Hawthorne and she was somehow connected.

That Gale could be in some kind of trouble didn't surprise Madge. If there was anyone who could undermine all that Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch had worked for since the surprising end to the last Games, then it would be Gale.

Madge herself had watched aghast as Gale had scowled at the cameras sent from the Capitol once Katniss and Peeta had made it to the last eight. He had sneered as he spoke of his _cousin_ and refused to play ball. In the end, the camera crews had stopped trying to get pleasant stories of how brave his cousin was, but stuck him in the background, where his height and good looks were useful. It hadn't stopped the scowling, but at least he could no longer endanger everything with his words.

It hadn't stopped him from looking at Madge with disgust, either, and it was just because she knew how the game worked and so had gushed over how courageous Katniss was, and how she knew Katniss could win the Games. It didn't matter to Gale that Madge was just giving them what they wanted to hear, trying to help as best she could to make Katniss more popular with the Capitol crowds who would then sponsor her – he still hated her for playing along. No doubt he thought she enjoyed all the attention.

"Madge?" her father called, and she jumped, so lost in her own puzzled thoughts that she had not heard him come home. "Could you come here, please?"

She glanced quickly at the clock that resided above the kitchen door and frowned. It was only mid-morning. Why was her father home from the Justice Building? She hadn't heard the front door open, but then again, she had been lost in her own thoughts for the past five minutes.

The anxiety that she'd felt since she had spoken to Katniss flared up again, writhing in the pit of her stomach like a nest of snakes.

Something wasn't right.

Madge straightened her clothes and walked towards her father's office. "Is everything okay, dad-" she started to say, breaking off when she saw who was in the room with him.

President Snow.

Madge had only met him once, during that trip to the Capitol. He had patted her on the head and complimented her parents on her beauty. Part of her had wanted to squirm away from the cool hand, a feeling of dread settling over her from his touch.

Now, it was only thanks to the training her father had given her that Madge didn't just turn and flee in the face of those emotionless eyes. Instead, she managed to keep her reaction to just her eyes widening slightly as she hesitated by the door.

"Madge, sweetheart, we are honoured by President Snow coming to visit us," her father said, gesturing for her to come and take a seat by him.

"Madge, how pleasant it is to see you again. All grown up and quite a beauty," the president said, his affable words doing nothing to dispel her fears as to why he was here.

Stepping lightly into the room, Madge gave the president a demure smile and sat by her father, tucking her skirt in around her legs as if it would somehow armour her against whatever was coming.

"President Snow came to see our two victors before they commence on their tour, Madge," he father said, his convivial tone hiding the hint of worry she could still detect in his voice.

_Katniss had been right to call me_, Madge thought. If the president was here then it was not for some pleasantry with Katniss and Peeta, but to issue a warning. Her mind stumbled back onto the troubling subject of Gale Hawthorne.

It had not escaped anyone's notice that Katniss had spent little time in Peeta's company since returning from the Games. Madge knew this more than anyone, thanks to the time she spent with Katniss. She had seen the awkward waves between the two across the Victory Village green. However, Madge also knew who Katniss had been seen frequently with Gale. They would disappear as usual on Sundays and return late in the afternoon. More than one wild turkey had been consumed in the Undersee household as a result of those trips.

Madge murmured something about how honoured Katniss and Peeta must be to have the president personally call in to wish them luck.

President Snow smiled at her and it did nothing to soothe her nerves; it failed to reach his eyes, she noted, and lacked anything nice, instead managing to convey nothing but menace.

"Of course. You are good friends with Katniss, are you not, Madge?"

She nodded.

"Yes, I distinctly remember some charming interviews you gave during the Games regarding your close friend. It is very touching that the pair of you have managed to break down the – somewhat invisible – barrier between the Seam and the Town."

"We are all part of District 12," Madge managed to stutter out, her nerves screaming with the stress of this conversation.

"What admirable sentiments your daughter holds, Symeon. She is a credit to both you and Maybelline."

Madge could see her father nodding out the corner of her eye, keen to agree with anything the president said, but unable to keep his brow smooth – the slight wrinkle that rested there made his bemusement at this whole conversation obvious to Madge.

"You gave Katniss that Mockingjay pin, did you not? I distinctly remember seeing it on a tribute from District 12 before," President Snow said in a steely voice. All attempts at niceness had disappeared and Madge all but shrunk back in her chair as if greater distance could somehow protect her from the power this man held to destroy everything she held dear with a mere word.

"Yes," Madge said hoarsely.

"It was you aunt's, I believe. Maysilee Donner. It's very sad how Maysillee's death has affected your own poor mother so much."

And there was the threat. Not outright but there nonetheless. Her father had trained her in being able to read between words officials from the Capitol uttered, knowing that his daughter needed to be aware now she old enough to host those few that came out to District 12. So far, they had all been fairly harmless. People like Effie Trinket, who didn't have a clue about anything, but nothing could have prepared her for sitting in the same room as the president and hearing him subtly threaten to kill her mother.

Then like a squally storm, the hint of steel in Snow's eyes disappeared, masked behind a pleasant smile once more.

"No doubt it was your friendship with Katniss that introduced you to her cousin," President Snow said, and the abrupt change of subject was no doubt meant to confuse Madge and alarm bells went off in her head.

"Yes – yes, I met Gale through Katniss," Madge said carefully. Had the president found out about the illegal hunting? It would be one thing for the Mayor to turn a blind eye and confess to not knowing anything about it, but it would be a whole other issue for her father to _condone_ such activities, which the Undersees ultimately did, buying produce from both Katniss and Gale.

"He's such a handsome boy, too. Many young girls in the Capitol expressed a desire to visit District 12 after having seen him on TV."

Madge wasn't sure quite what was expected from her, so she settled for a nod of acknowledgement and small smile.

President Snow turned his cold eyes away from Madge and for the first time since sitting down, she felt able to breathe a little deeper. Being under the close scrutiny of the president was not a pleasant experience and one her father was now suffering.

"Katniss told me a very affecting story, Symeon. One that tore at my old sentimental heartstrings." Madge suppressed a snort at this. There was nothing sentimental about President Snow.

"A story of love between a girl from an affluent family and a boy with little more than the rags on his back, and their attempts to see each other in secret out of fear for what the girl's family might say if they found out that she loved a boy who could give her nothing."

Madge's heart stopped as the reason why Katniss had sounded so anxious dawned on her: she had told the president that Madge and Gale were secretly in love. Madge wanted nothing more than burst out. The thought of Gale Hawthorne being even remotely attracted to her was preposterous. He was nothing but rude to Madge and made it very clear that he thought she was nothing more than a spoiled little rich girl.

"Can you guess who these two desperate lovers might be?" President Snow asked, a glint in his eye that seemed nothing more than malicious to Madge.

"Madge?" her father asked bemused and turning his attention from the president and towards her.

Madge knew it was impossible for her to deny Katniss' story – not unless she wanted something awful to happen to Katniss, her family and Gale. Haymitch Abernathy's face swam in her mind for a moment. Look what Snow had done to him just because he had used the Gamesmakers' tricks against them.

Switching her brain into gear, Madge hung her head, hoping she appeared a mixture of contrite and scared. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said. "I know you would not want me mixed up with a Seam boy. But Gale…he's different, Daddy, and I love him."

Madge snuck a look up at her audience, grateful for once for her fair skin and how easily it stained with colour. She might be blushing due to the outrageous lies she was telling – and just how Gale Hawthorne would react to hearing her declare her love for him – but it would look as if she was flushed due to her passionate feelings. Her father looked bewildered while the president looked appreciative. _He knows,_ she thought. _He knows this is nothing more than a desperate lie told by desperate girl trying to save those closest to her._

"Now, Symeon, I must beg permission to speak on your daughter's behalf," President Snow said. "It would be a shame if you dismissed her feelings purely because the boy is nothing more than a miner, especially at a time when we are so keen to foster unity and understanding in each of our Districts."

Madge shot a quick look at her father and her brow furrowed as she saw how pale his face was. Was there something wrong in the other Districts? If there was, her father would definitely know. The Mayors of each District – even a small and poor one like District 12– were kept in the loop about the situation in the other Districts.

"Yes. Yes, of course," her father said rather shakily, before he managed to pull himself together to turned a stern eye onto Madge. "You should not have kept this from me, Margaret. I am disappointed in you. I would hope that whilst you mother and I want nothing but the best for you, we would not wish to stand in the way of your happiness. However, it was very wrong of you to sneak around with this boy behind our backs. I think it would be best if you brought him over for dinner one night this week so we could have a proper introduction."

The inappropriate desire to laugh nearly overtook her once more, but she managed to reign it in and paste what she hoped was a grateful look on her face.

"Excellent, Symeon, excellent," the president said in a jovial voice that did not match his distant facial expression. "I look forward to seeing the happy young couple when the Victory Tour makes it was back to District 12."

_There is no way out of this façade then_, Madge thought. Snow was expecting them to play the game just as Katniss and Peeta were forced to do. But would Gale play along?

* * *

Gale trudged along the black road that lead from the mines back to the Seam. His shoulders and arms ached, still not used to the back-busting labour he now undertook 12 hours a day, six days a week.

He turned his head to glance at the wilderness that flanked the road along the other side of the fence. What he would not give to be out there all day rather than being stuck underground. The familiar bitterness rose up from his stomach. If only Katniss had listened and they had run when they'd had a chance. They could have survived out in the forest, even with their families.

Instead, she was now on her way around Panem, tricked out in fine dresses and holding hands with Mellark. Playing a loved-up fool to feed the whims of the Capitol.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye, forced to labour for the needs of the very people who had reaped his best friend and now cheered at her contrived and phoney love story.

Gale kicked a pebble, watching as it hurtled towards the fence before it pinged off a metal spoke and spun crazily, finally coming to rest a few centimetres from the path. He couldn't help but think that small stone represented him – desperate to escape but unable to do anything about it.

As he entered the Seam once more, he veered off the main road and down a small path that wound through the ramshackle houses, waving to his crewmates as they continued on to their houses.

The familiar sight of washing flapping gently to and fro in the breeze greeted him as he swung open the rusty gate that lead to his house. He knew Katniss would have checked the snares before departing today, so there was a strong possibility of a meat stew tonight. Her insistence on giving all game she caught to his family might grate on his sensibilities, but it didn't stop his stomach from rumbling at the thought of proper food.

Gale unlaced his boots, slid his feet out of them and whacked them against the side of the wooden stairs that lead up to the small porch. His mother did not appreciate him tracking coal dust through the house. Shrugging out of his miner's jacket, he slung it over one of the outdoor hooks, a remnant of when his father had been down the mines. His hat joined it soon after.

Running his hands through his hair, Gale shouldered the front door open, calling out a greeting to his family.

However, the usual rambunctious greeting from Rory, Vick and Posy was absent. Instead, the house was eerily quiet. Looking up, Gale stopped in surprise, his lips twitching when he saw how quiet his siblings were being, grouped around the small table where the family often ate. It usually took the possibility of Gale bringing some berries home from the woods to get them to be that quiet and still. However, any desire to smile fled when he saw just why they were so well-behaved.

The Mayor and Madge Undersee were sitting on the beat-up couch.

Gale frowned and flashed a quick look at his mother. The Mayor was not often seen in the Seam and as far as Gale knew he did not make house-calls on the poorer residents who lived there. Gale had never seen Madge step one foot here either – not even to see her _good_ friend, Katniss.

His mother came forward, ignored the stormy look on her son's face, and said, "Gale, go and wash up. Dinner should be on the table in about ten minutes."

He looked towards the two visitors on the sofa. They could not have looked more out of place if they had tried. The Mayor was dressed in one of his dark suits, with a pristine white shirt that showcased a blue tie whereas Madge was in one of those expensive dresses she liked to wear, almost as if flaunting that she could afford pretty clothes to be transported in from the more affluent districts. His mother looked shabby and worn in comparison, which had the bitterness rising inside him once more.

"Are _they_ staying for dinner?" he asked, not even bothering to be polite.

In the periphery of his vision, he saw Madge look uncomfortably at her hands while his mother glared at him, colour high in her cheeks as the full force of Gale's words hit her. Hazelle Hawthorne might not have much, but she prided herself on her hospitality, and he'd just undermined that. He didn't want to feel the shame of his words, but he did. The people in the Seam might be poor, but the hospitality they offered was anything but.

"The Mayor came over to speak to you about something, and has kindly accepted to stay for dinner," Hazelle said, the warning for Gale to find his manners, quickly, clear in her voice.

"Oh," he said weakly, throwing another glance at the Undersees currently occupying the Hawthorne's battered furniture. He could only think of one subject the Mayor could be coming to speak to him about and it would be his woodland activities, but surely he would have arrived with several Peacekeepers rather than his daughter if that were the case.

Shrugging slightly, Gale made his way to the tiny bathroom at the back of the small one-storey house. He was tempted to take his time but he wanted to know just the Mayor had deigned to come and visit the Hawthornes.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, the coal dust washed away, the table was laid and everyone was sitting down. Gale narrowed his eyes at his mother as he realised the only seat left was between Madge and Posy.

He slid into it, refusing to look at the Mayor's daughter. He didn't want to see what was sure to be the disappointed look on her face as she realised just how simple food in the Seam was. He was pretty sure Madge was used to fancy dinner sets that matched, not chipped plates that were all different colours and sizes.

Gale had been right about Katniss checking the snares before she'd left, though, so at least they had a hearty squirrel stew, rather than one of the weak broths that Hazelle had to prepare when they had not much else.

"This is delicious, Hazelle," the Mayor said after sampling it. "I must get the recipe from you. I know my wife would enjoy this."

It was nothing more than a polite platitude, but it had the scowl returning to Gale's face. He bent his head over his food before he said something to further embarrass his mother, making sure he concentrated on eating, and not what he was sure were the condescending remarks of a rich townie.

It wasn't long before the meal had finished and Hazelle had sent the younger children into the bedroom, with an order for Rory and Vick to finish their homework. Both boys grumbled but grabbed Posy's little hands and disappeared.

Gale leant back in his chair as his mother bustled around the small kitchen area, heating some water over the stove to make tea. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Madge fussing with her skirt, pleating the material before smoothing it out and starting again. His eyebrow rose in surprise and wondered just what was making her so anxious.

The Mayor cleared his throat, gaining Gale's attention, before he said, "I was sorry to drop by on you with no warning."

As Mayor Undersee was staring at him, Gale presumed he was talking to him and he made a non-committal noise, wishing the Mayor would just spit out whatever he wanted to say.

"I could, of course, have asked you to come by the Justice Building, but I thought it best if I came to discuss the matter with you here rather than in an official government building."

Gale's eyebrows drew together. Was that a reference to the open secret that all official District places were bugged? He was pretty sure that the Mayor was meant to pretend that they weren't and that the Districts had a measure of freedom. Was he about to get a warning that his hunting activities were now too widely known for him to continue and that unless he stopped, he would find himself arrested? It was the only matter he could imagine Mayor Undersee needing to speak to him about.

A mug of steaming nettle tea was placed in front of him, and Gale pulled his eyes from the visibly nervous face of the Mayor to smile his thanks to his mother.

"Is it about my hunting?" Gale asked frankly. "Because if I stop hunting, my family starves."

Gale was surprised to see that Mayor Undersee reddened at his blunt words. Did the conditions in the Seam sit uneasily for the Mayor?

"No, no, this has nothing to do with your…er…hunting activities. It's regarding Katniss."

"Katniss?"

Gale sat up straight, his elbows hitting the scarred wood of the kitchen table as endless possibilities of just what might have happened flooded through his mind. Had there been an accident? Had their train derailed? Was she okay?

"She's fine, Gale," Madge said, suddenly entering the conversation. "Nothing has happened to her."

Relief washed through him. She wasn't hurt and he still had time to make amends for scaring her with his kiss the other week. He had known that it was too soon, that she wasn't ready for him to declare his feelings for her, but he couldn't stop himself. It had been pure agony for him to watch her play out a sham relationship with the Mellark boy on screen. All those kisses and cuddles cut into his soul, making him even angrier that he'd already been.

"She is under rather a lot of scrutiny at the moment, Gale, which, by association, has put you under the same scrutiny," the Mayor said. "I am sure that I do not need to tell you that those in charge are rather unhappy with the way the last Games ended. There was never any plan to have two victors. By coming out alive, both Katniss and Peeta have challenged the way the **G**ames are run and there is a lot riding on just how well they maintain their love story for the Victory Tour."

Gale's eyebrows knitted together. "Should you be telling me this?"

Mayor Undersee laughed. "No, but Madge tells me that you are not unintelligent and can be trusted to keep the things I tell you to yourself."

Gale shot Madge a disbelieving look, taking in the rosy pink colour in her cheeks. She steadfastly refused to look back at him.

"President Snow came to District 12 today," the Mayor said. There was a clattering of plates from the corner where Hazelle was washing up that told him his mother was as startled by this news as he was. "He came specifically to see Katniss to discuss your relationship with her."

"We don't have a relationship," Gale bit out, all too aware of his disappointment at the truth of that statement.

"Maybe not a romantic one, but your presence in her life constitutes a threat to her supposed love for Peeta, which the Capitol is banking on everyone swallowing."

"I thought that was why I was masquerading at her cousin."

"Yes, that story initially made do, but President Snow came out here to inform Katniss that it was no longer enough."

Gale could do nothing but stare at the Mayor in confusion. Just what did the Capitol want from Katniss?

"Things were said," Mayor Undersee continued. "Things that lead to Madge and my presence in your home tonight."

"Just spit it out," Gale said in a growl, rapidly losing any patience he'd once had for this beating around the bush.

"Katniss has informed President Snow that you are not a threat to her and Peeta because you are currently dating Madge."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you for your encouraging remarks. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story.**

**My thanks, as always, to swirlsofblack for all her help with my SPaG.**

* * *

"_Katniss has informed President Snow that you are not a threat to her and Peeta because you are currently dating Madge."_

The words made no sense to Gale and for a good few moments he did nothing but stare at the Mayor in confusion. "What?" he finally croaked out.

"As far as President Snow is concerned, you and my daughter are in a relationship."

Gale could not stop the bitter laugh that escaped his mouth. Was this some kind of elaborate joke? Was Katniss so desperate not to be in a relationship with him that she had roped Madge into some masquerade? He knew Katniss wasn't any good at expressing her feelings, but he had thought they were close enough for her to be honest with him.

The anger swelled up inside and Gale knew that he couldn't stay for one more second in this small room with three pairs of eyes watching him warily, almost as if they expected some kind of explosion.

"I have to get out of here," Gale muttered before he shoved his chair back so hard that it toppled to the floor with a loud clatter.

Not stopping to do any more than grab his coat from the outside hook, Gale all but ran into the darkness that was the Seam at night.

"Gale! Wait!" Madge called behind him, but he didn't bother to slow down.

The faint footsteps behind him did not stop and he knew that Madge was following him – a stupid thing for her to do considering he knew the Seam like the back of his hand and he wasn't sure she'd ever even stepped foot in the area before. However, decency won out over his anger, and he stopped and waited for her to catch up. He might not like Madge very much, but he didn't wish for her to be lost in the dark of the Seam. Who knew what could happen to her here. This place had its fair share of unsavoury characters.

Madge stepped directly into his path and faced him, her hands folded across her chest and a frown on her face. "Just what was that about?" she asked aggressively.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I meant to react with a big grin and thank Katniss for putting me in such a stupid situation?"

"Do you think Katniss _wanted_ to force us into this?"

"I don't know. Maybe she thought this was an easy way out of her problems. I wouldn't know – it's not as if she talks to me anymore about this stuff."

Madge huffed angrily and poked him on the chest with a sharp finger. "If there is a more stubborn or stupid person in District 12 than you, Gale Hawthorne, I would be shocked."

He eyed her wearily. What did she mean by that?

Madge was obviously aware of his confusion and she sighed. "You idiot. Is there anywhere around here that we can talk where we won't have a hundred or so eyes on us?"

Gale looked around and scowled as he saw twitching curtains in several houses. _Great_, he thought. _All I need is speculation about just why I'm standing in the street with the Mayor's daughter in the dark._

"Follow me," Gale said gruffly. The Meadow would be the best place for them to talk.

They walked in silence until they got there. Gale led them to where someone had dragged a fallen log and sat down on it, watching as Madge paced to and fro, obviously needing to get her own thoughts in order. He could understand why: he felt as he'd just been hit with one of the heavy mining carts.

Madge finally stopped pacing and sat down on the log next to him. The silence between them continued and he saw that she was back to pleating her skirt. Already annoyed, Gale's hand shot out and clamped over hers, stopping her action, causing her to look up at him.

"You wanted to talk," he said irritably.

Madge sighed again. "My father took a risk tonight," she said and he frowned. Why was she talking about her father when they were meant to be discussing Katniss?

Almost as if she could feel his confusion, she said, "He was very open with you. It's not a particularly smart thing to do in the current climate."

"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked.

"Do you really think the president comes out to districts like 12 on a whim? We're not important – we're small fry. The poorest and the least significant of them all."

Gale snorted. He didn't need the Mayor's daughter to tell him how crap District 12 was. He lived in it on a daily basis and in ways that she could not comprehend.

"The president also doesn't make good luck visits to victors – especially not to victors who have won by defying the Games. Don't you get it, Gale? Katniss beat the Capitol at their own game and the president cannot let it slide."

"So what's this got to do with me?"

"Did anyone ever tell you about Haymitch?"

"Abernathy? What's Abernathy got to do with this?"

"Everything, because he, too, beat the Capitol at their own game. He used the tricks of the Gamesmakers against them and President Snow punished him for it."

Gale frowned. The Capitol liked to show replays of previous Games throughout the year and in the build-up to the Reaping, they would often air programmes which listed the Capitol's favourite victors, best Games moments, and other things like that. However, Haymitch Abernathy never appeared in any of those show's lists of favourites and Gale had just assumed that he'd fluked his way to a win. It wasn't hard to imagine, looking at him now.

"What did he do?"

"He used the force field around the arena against the strongest opponent, the one the Capitol had banked on winning. One of the Careers, who think the Games are an honour and then do the bidding of the Capitol afterwards."

Gale could hear the scorn in Madge's voice and was surprised. He'd never given the girl much thought before beyond annoyance that she got to wear ridiculous white dresses to the Reaping and had enough money to pay a stupid amount for a basket of strawberries. He'd asked Katniss several times just how she could stand the girl, which had always led to her getting annoyed and stomping off.

"How do you know all this?" Gale asked, finding himself fascinated by her insight.

"It's not because I have some inside privilege because I'm the Mayor's daughter if that's what you're getting at," Madge said defensively.

Unwelcome guilt at just how rude he was to her sometimes bubbled up into his stomach. "I didn't mean it like that," he said sharply.

"Yeah, sure you didn't," she muttered before she continued in a louder voice, "My aunt was one of the tributes in those Games. She and Haymitch had an alliance for a while."

The feeling of guilt grew worse and Gale shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, I didn't know."

Madge rolled her eyes. "Why would you pay attention to a rich _townie_ who got reaped? After all, we don't have as many slips in that bowl as those from the Seam," she said sarcastically.

"Are you going to throw every stupid thing I've ever said in my face?" he asked defensively, his arms crossed.

"I don't know. Are you going to continue to throw my wealth in my face?"

They glared at each other and Gale didn't like the fact that he was the first one to look away. Almost as if taking that as a sign to continue, Madge said, "Anyway, when Haymitch won, Snow had his whole family killed as a warning. That's why he's like he is."

Gale turned back to stare at her. He knew all about the callous nature of the Capitol. Living in the Seam, you were reminded of it daily as you struggled to put enough food on the table or toiled in the unsafe mines, wondering if you'd ever see daylight again. However, this was something else. "He killed them?"

"Yes. Just like that. He said the word and it was done."

"And he's threatened do the same to Katniss?"

Just putting the thought into words made Gale feel sick. The realisation that little Prim could be killed anyway and that Katniss' sacrifice would mean nothing…

Madge shook her head. "Not her family – at least not yet – but _you!_"

Gale's head reeled with the news. "Shit," he finally said. "Shit, shit, SHIT!"

His shouts echoed into the dark night and he punched the log, needing an outlet for the anger. He noticed that his violence caused Madge to jump but he couldn't bring himself to care.

They'd used him to threaten Katniss and the general feeling of helplessness that had consumed him since Reaping Day intensified. He hadn't been able to protect her when she'd gone into the arena and he couldn't protect her now. In fact, _she_ was protecting _him_. Skinny little Katniss was forced to protect him and all he could was rage about it. He groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Gale?" Madge said softly after a short while and put a tentative hand on his shoulder.

He blinked the moisture in his eyes away before he looked up at the girl sitting next to him. "So that's why she said we were dating." He laughed but there was no amusement in it. "Part of it comes as a relief, you know. I thought she might have said it so I'd get the message that she wasn't interested. Katniss isn't always good with words."

Madge let out a puff of laughter at that. "You're telling me? We rarely talk at lunch, just kind of co-exist in the same space."

"I kissed her," Gale said, not wanting to think too deeply about just why he was confiding this to Madge Undersee of all people. Then again, it wasn't like he could talk to his mother about it, and the guys at work would think it was funny and spread it around. "After watching her with Mellark, I just wanted to know…" He trailed off, unsure what to say next. "I don't think she liked it very much. She didn't kiss me back, just kind of stood there. Not like the kisses she gave _him_."

"Look, Gale, I don't even pretend to know what your relationship with Katniss is like, but I do know you're her best friend, and I don't think the kisses between her and Peeta meant anything. It was a way to get them both out of that arena alive. You know Katniss, she'd have never forgiven herself if she'd come out and Peeta hadn't."

Gale _did_ know that. It didn't tend to make him feel any better, though. Why couldn't she just have been ruthless and gotten out of there? Come back for Prim. For _him_. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, disliking what it said about him. He might resent Mellark's presence but that didn't mean he wished him dead.

"If she doesn't like Mellark, then why not kiss me back?"

"Have you stopped to think that maybe she doesn't like either of you like that?" Madge asked and he didn't appreciate the amusement in her tone. "She doesn't have to, by the way. It doesn't have to be you or him. Maybe she's not interested in anybody romantically."

Her words stung. Gale wasn't sure why, but he'd always just assumed that he'd end up with Katniss. They were pretty much one big family before the Capitol made him pretend to be her cousin, and it had made sense to him. She was the one girl he'd been able to relax with. Their trips to the woods became more than just a means to survive. It was the one time where he didn't have to hide his thoughts away, afraid of who might hear, and what might happen to his family. There was no need to pretend with Katniss and that appealed to him – apparently more than it should have done.

"Anyway, it's not like she even has a choice anymore," Madge continued, oblivious to his inner turmoil. "She _has_ to be with Peeta whether she likes it or not. She's not going to be allowed to end it with a 'Sorry, I don't really love him after all'. Every year, she and Peeta will be going back to the Capitol and every year their romance will be displayed to the public. So, even if she did like you back, why would she open herself up to that kind of misery?"

"We could run away," Gale said before he could stop himself. It was the thought that sustained him in the deep of the night when a life of toiling in the mines stretched before him endlessly, the one dream that made him drag himself out of bed every day. "Katniss and I could make it in the forest – no problem."

"And your families?"

"They'd come, too. Rory and Vick could learn to hunt. Mrs E has medical skills. Ma can pretty much do anything she turns her hand to."

"Wake up, Gale," Madge said gently. "Maybe you could have gotten away with that prior to Katniss' win, but she'd never be able to disappear now. The Capitol would hunt you down and kill you all. Do you want that for your family, for little Posy?"

Gale flinched. "What do you know about it anyway?" he asked angrily.

She smiled bitterly up at him. "I'm the Mayor's daughter, remember? With that privilege comes an intimate knowledge of just how the Capitol works."

He'd never looked at her life that way. He was always just angry that she was well-fed with no threat of starvation hanging over her head. Maybe _other_ things hung over her head.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

"Say that you were dating me? You could have left Katniss out to dry – left me out to dry. It's not as if I've ever been that nice to you."

"I wouldn't do that to Katniss," she said before throwing him a cheeky glance that he'd never have imagined she would possess. "Besides, if you were killed, who'd bring me strawberries?"

The shock of her teasing in the midst of such a conversation took him by surprise. He couldn't help the astonished laugh that burst from his lips. "You must really like strawberries."

"More than you can imagine," she said mischievously.

Gale couldn't remember the last time he'd joked like this. It felt like years ago. The fact that it was with the Mayor's daughter of all people made it all the more funny somehow. He elbowed her in the side, smiled back at her, and felt lighter than he had in weeks.

* * *

Madge couldn't get her head around Gale. She'd spent most of the evening tempted to throw him to the wolves. He'd made it very clear that he didn't want Madge or her father intruding in his life and that he didn't appreciate their presence in his home.

His attitude had brought on the same reaction that it did every time: she'd become extremely nervous. She'd been quiet over dinner, not wanting to speak in case it brought out Gale's temper, and she'd winced through her father's efforts to diffuse the uncomfortable situation, worried that it would appear as nothing more than condescending.

But then they'd gone to the meadow and although his unhelpful attitude had continued for a bit, she'd seen a different side to him. He'd let her see past the barrier that had been up every time she'd attempted to be friendly to him in the past. Indeed, towards the end she'd even seen a little admiration in his eyes when she'd explained how politics with the Capitol worked.

This had given Madge some hope that this masquerade would not go as badly as she'd previously expected. If she and Gale could come to some kind of understanding, then it might be bearable – something she'd not actually expected when the adrenaline from President Snow's visit had dissipated and she'd realised just what Katniss had signed her up for.

Not that it was Katniss' fault.

When Madge had gone to say her farewell to her friend at the train station, Katniss had pulled her into a big hug, whispering nonstop apologies in her ear as well as the threat that Snow had made to her. Madge understood exactly why Katniss had said what she had and she held no grudge that she had effectively trapped her in the same contrived relationship that she and Peeta were forced to play out.

It was just that it was Gale Hawthorne.

Now, as he walked her home – her father had disappeared at some point during their sojourn to the Meadow, and Mrs Hawthorne had outright refused to allow Madge to walk home alone – the hostility that always radiated off him was muted. It was still there – she saw it in the flash of anger in his eyes as they made the transition from the rickety Seam houses to the sturdier and more anaesthetically pleasing Town homes – but it was no longer directed at her.

Gale cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had reigned between them. "I didn't think to ask if this whole thing was screwing something up for you."

Confused, Madge tilted her head inquiringly.

"You know," he said with a vague hand gesture. "Do you already have a boyfriend?"

She'd never been so grateful for the dark night as the blood flooded into her cheeks. "Er…no," she mumbled.

"Probably a good thing," Gale said, his voice sounding as constricted as she felt. "I doubt he'd take the news about me very well if you had."

"What about you?"

Gale shot her a disbelieving look. "I wanted to start something with Katniss," he said as if that was an explanation.

"Katniss never stopped you taking girls to the slag heap before," she replied tartly.

There was silence for a moment and she wondered if she'd somehow destroyed the small amount of camaraderie they'd developed earlier on. "You know," he said conversationally, "there's this false impression of you amongst the general population of the District."

Madge narrowed her eyes in his direction, unsure if she should ask for further clarification. No doubt Gale had some unflattering opinion of her to report back, but her curiosity won out. "What do you mean?"

"Most people seem to labouring under the illusion that you are a sweet, inoffensive girl who wouldn't say boo to a goose."

"And you're suggesting differently?" she asked, her eyebrow raised. She'd worked hard to convey that impression. She didn't have many friends in the District as her father's employment naturally separated her from others, so she'd always cultivated an inoffensive image, almost as if it would somehow protect her from too many pointed barbs.

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm saying it's not true."."

She stopped and folded her arms. "And you're basing that on what exactly?"

Gale put his hands in his pockets nonchalantly and looked up at the sky. "This entire evening."

"I don't believe I've been particularly offensive."

"You just accused me of being a slut."

"If the cap fits…" she murmured.

Madge braced herself for his outrage. Nothing in her small knowledge of him suggested that Gale Hawthorne had a sense of humour, so the burst of laughter came out of the blue. She waited until he got over his amusement before gesturing for him to say something.

When he did, it wasn't something she would have thought he'd say. "I can see why you and Katniss are friends," he said, before starting to walk towards her house again.

With a wry smile, Madge followed.

When they reached the gate to her house, some of the constraint from earlier reappeared. He looked up at the large mansion with a bitter twist to his mouth.

"Don't," she said sharply.

"Don't what?"

"Make whatever comparison you were about to. Yes, I have a big house and no, I don't think it makes me better than you."

For once, he bit his tongue and changed the subject. "Well, thanks for the interesting evening, Madge."

She gave him a small smile. "You're welcome. I think."

"What happens now?" Gale asked.

Madge shrugged. "I've not really had any fake relationships before. I guess we watch Katniss and Peeta and learn from the best."

He grimaced at that and she rolled her eyes. He was going to have to get over his dislike of Peeta at some point.

"So, that's it? As far as everyone is concerned, we're dating now?" he asked.

Madge sighed. "Pretty much, yes."

"I guess I'll see you sooner rather than later, then."

"Yeah, I think Dad wants to have you over for dinner this week. I'm pretty sure someone will be keeping an eye on us, so there's no point in not trying to make it look real."

The grimace returned. "If that's the case then I'll drop by tomorrow evening. I guess we better work out a battle plan."

"Sounds like a date," she quipped. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished that the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he said quietly before giving her an awkward wave and ambling back down towards the Seam.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: ****Another Katniss chapter that relies heavily on the canon text with parts of dialogue and thoughts being pulled from the corresponding chapter in Catching Fire so it's a good time to put another disclaimer in that I'm not Suzanne Collins regretting that she never made Gadge canon and that I'm making no profit off this fic and am writing purely for fun.  
**

**Also, just for the time being I'm slowing the updates down to once a week because my beta, the wonderful swirlsofblack who has made the SPaG in this fic infinitely better, is bogged down in RL at the moment and we're catching up on the chapters that have been beta'd. **

**Thank you to everyone who has commented on this - reading your reactions has put a massive smile on my face.**

* * *

The train ride did not help to soothe Katniss' nerves. All she could think about was the threat President Snow had made on Gale's life, and just what she had done to try and neutralise that threat.

It felt like the arena all over again, when she had shared the nightlock berries with Peeta and had been prepared to end it all. Better that than coming home just one of them. Not that she had it in her to kill Peeta anymore than he would have been able to kill her. It had been a split-second decision and she'd had no idea just what the consequences would be. It was not until she had come out of the arena that she'd fully understood what she had done.

Today felt similar. She hadn't even hesitated to say that Gale and Madge were together. It had been the obvious way to make Gale no threat at all. It was not until Snow had left that she'd realised just what she had done.

Katniss wondered if her mind worked best in life or death situations, if somehow it took the stress of her family and friends being in danger for her to be able to think of ways out of near impossible situations – regardless of the possible consequences.

However, it didn't change the fact that she had said what she had. At least Madge had been understanding when they'd said their goodbyes and Katniss had hugged her tightly, nearly breaking down when Madge had whispered that she'd look after Gale for her.

Now Katniss finally had a moment to think. She needed to tell someone what had happened but she knew it could not be Peeta. Things were awkward enough between them as it was and having to explain just why the president had threatened Gale would hardly alleviate that awkwardness. She also didn't want to burden him with anything else.

That left Haymitch.

Putting on a huge robe over her pyjamas, Katniss stuffed her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers and padded down the corridor to Haymitch's cabin. There was no danger that she'd wake him up because Haymitch hated to sleep when it was dark outside.

It took him a while to answer the knocks on his door, and Katniss wondered if he already knew she was bringing bad news, like she always seemed to do. Finally, he pulled the door open, a scowl on his face and a cloud of alcohol fumes around him.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"I have to talk to you," she whispered.

"Now?" he asked and Katniss answered with a nod. "This better be good."

Haymitch stood at the door of his cabin and waited for her to talk, but Katniss was pretty sure that the train was bugged. If President Snow could see a kiss in the woods around District 12, he was sure to know everything that was said on the train that carried the unexpected victors of the 74th Hunger Games.

"Well?" Haymitch barked, clearly becoming even more annoyed.

Suddenly, the train started to brake, and for one horrible moment Katniss thought the president had decided to go ahead and kill her anyway, but then she realised that they had just stopped for fuel. Handily, it gave her a solution for her need to speak to Haymitch away from any potential bugs.

"The train's so stuffy," she said.

Never slow on the uptake for these things, Haymitch's eyes narrowed in recognition. "I know what you need," he said and lurched his way down the train corridor to a door.

He wrestled it open and an arctic blast of wind and snow hit them, which caused Haymitch to fall to the ground. A Capitol attendant rushed forward to offer his help, but Haymitch waved her away as he staggered off the train. "Just want some fresh air. Only be a minute."

Katniss gave the attendant an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry, he's drunk. I'll get him." And she followed him down the snowy track.

Haymitch led them far beyond the end of the train so there was no danger of them being overheard before he turned to face Katniss and said, "What?"

For a moment, Katniss twisted her fingers together, unsure of just how to start.

"Get on with it," Haymitch said in an irritated voice.

Looking around just in case, Katniss said, "President Snow came to my house today."

That got Haymitch's undivided attention and his scowl deepened. "Why?"

"He came to warn me that if I don't sell this love story with Peeta, I'm dead. He said that the other districts aren't sold on it and that if I fail to convince them then he'll kill us as well as my family."

"Then you can't fail," he said.

"If you could just help me get through this trip-" she started to say.

"No, Katniss, it's not just this trip."

"What do you mean?"

"Even if you pull it off, they'll be back in another few months to take us all to the Games. You and Peeta, you'll be mentors now, every year from here on out. And every year they'll revisit the romance and broadcast the details of your private life, and you'll never, ever be able to do anything but live happily ever after with that boy."

Katniss' face whitened at his words. Haymitch himself had sobered up and she noticed that he looked older. If Katniss and Peeta were expected to stay together forever, would that also be the case for Gale and Madge? Katniss put her cold hands on her cheeks. "That's not all," she said.

Haymitch looked at her, unease in his eyes.

"President Snow threatened to kill Gale first."

Confusion flitted over Haymitch's face for a moment.

"You know, Gale Hawthorne. My friend," Katniss said. Were they still friends? She wasn't too sure. Everything had become so mixed up in the aftermath of the Games. Could she have had something with Gale that was now impossible because she had to stay with Peeta for the rest of her life?

"The tall boy who scowls a lot?" Haymitch asked and she nodded her confirmation. "The one who is supposed to be your cousin?"

That caused Katniss to frown. She hated that lie almost as much as Gale did.

Giving her a knowing look, Haymitch asked, "Did something happen between the two of you?"

"He kissed me," she mumbled, deeply uncomfortable with sharing this fact, but if Haymitch was going to help her then he needed to know everything. "It was in the woods, but somehow the president knew."

Haymitch rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there having this conversation with her. "Of course he did," he murmured.

"That's not the last of it," Katniss said.

"There's more? I'm surprised Snow hasn't already killed you and gotten it over and done with."

Katniss shot him a glare, not appreciating his special brand of humour right now. "I told him Gale wasn't a threat because he was already seeing someone."

Haymitch's eyebrows rose and he gave her an assessing look. "You might not be such a dead loss after all. So who did you say he was seeing?"

"Madge Undersee," she whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Madge…Undersee? The Mayor's daughter? Are you out of your mind? Of all the shatter-brained things to do. Why not some random girl from the Seam?"

"It was the first name that sprang to mind," she said defensively. "I tried to warn her on the phone. President Snow told me he would go and see her father about it."

Haymitch stared out with sombre eyes at the trees that lined the tracks, their darkened shadows the only thing visible in the faint light from the train's taillights.

"She was at the station afterwards and told me that everything was fine," Katniss continued, wanting Haymitch to know that the lie was holding at least.

"That's something, I guess. Madge has one thing in her favour: she knows how to play the game. She's had to learn, growing up in that household."

"So I didn't completely mess up?" Katniss asked, but there was nothing but silence from Haymitch, who had gone back to staring out into the dark gloom.

"The Mayor's daughter and your angry boy from the Seam," he finally said and a genuine smile spread across his lips. "District 12 is just full of star-crossed lovers, it seems."

"He's not _my_ boy," Katniss said angrily, ignoring his jab about lovers.

"No, you're right about that, sweetheart. He's Madge Undersee's boy now," Haymitch said with a spluttering laugh. "That poor kid!"

"Which one?" Katniss shot back, a scowl on her face showing just how little she appreciated his spurt of humour.

"Not your idiot of a false cousin, that's for sure. If he's anything like his father then he's a livewire waiting to go off. Madge has all my sympathies."

Katniss bristled at his words. She might get annoyed with Gale on occasion – the way he would rant about the Capitol and how unfair life in the districts was exasperated her. It wasn't as if they could do anything about it – not unless they wanted to be wiped off the map like District 13 had been. However, that didn't mean that Haymitch could make digs about him. Gale and Katniss had been a team for the past four years, the barrier between their families and starvation, and she didn't like the implication that he was a troublemaker.

"She could do a lot worse," Katniss said, almost as Madge and Gale were dating for real and she hadn't forced them into a pretend relationship.

Haymitch rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Yeah, she could do a lot worse than a miner from the Seam who undertakes illegal hunting in woods he's not meant to step foot in."

Katniss bit back an angry retort and instead focused on the more practical matters. "Will they have to pretend forever like Peeta and I?"

Haymitch shrugged. "It depends on you, sweetheart. If you can convince the whole of Panem that Peeta is your heart's only desire, then you can possess as many single handsome cousins as you please. President Snow cares about nipping whatever dissent you may have unwittingly started in the bud, and as long as that happens, what Gale Hawthorne does will be of no interest to him."

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. If Gale got to live and be happy then Katniss could face being stuck in a fake romance for the rest of her life. It was not as if she was in love with Gale herself. She might feel confused about her feelings towards him, but she knew it was not love.

"Come on, we better get back," Haymitch said.

They didn't speak as they slogged their way back to the train. Katniss' thoughts were too muddled for her to be able to make meaningless talk with Haymitch – not that she was very good at doing that on her best day.

As they reached her cabin, Haymitch patted her on the shoulder and echoed her earlier words. "You could do a lot worse, too, you know."

She did know and, as she shrugged out of her wet pyjamas, forgoing putting on a new pair in order to slip between her sheets quicker, she thought about all that Haymitch had said. He was right: the Capitol would never let her off this ride. She would be expected to marry Peeta, and while she could do a lot worse, that wasn't really the point. One of the few things that District 12 had going for it was the freedom to marry whomever you wanted. Now that option had been taken from Katniss for good. Would she also be expected to have children? She had never wanted children, had never wanted to put them through the hell that was the Reaping, let alone what could happen if they were picked, but now that decision seemed to have been taken from her, too. Surely the president would expect them to have children? What greater story than if the child of not one, but two, victors was chosen to go into the arena?

Children of victors had been reaped before, and it always generated a huge amount of interest when it happened. And it happened with such a frequency that it was surely no coincidence that could be put down to the odds not being in that particular family's favour. Gale was convinced the Capitol did it on purpose – rigged the draw to add the extra drama. If that was the case then any child of hers had no hope of not being reaped.

Katniss thought back to what her life had been a year ago. She would never have thought that the constant threat of starvation would ever look so appealing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks for all your encouraging comments and to swirlsofblack for betaing this chapter.**

* * *

"Ma, it strangles!" Gale said, running a finger under the tie his mother had forced him to wear.

"Hush," Hazelle said, slapping his fingers away and straightening the tie once more.

"Why do I have to wear it anyway?" he asked with a grimace.

He didn't even want to go this stupid dinner. It had been three days since the Mayor and Madge Undersee had dropped the bomb on him that he was now her 'official boyfriend' or whatever they were pretending to be for President Snow, and an invitation to dine at the Mayor's house had been issued during an awkward, but thankfully brief, meeting between Gale and Madge two nights ago.

The full force of their situation had hit them and she had barely been able look him in the eye and he had wanted nothing more than to say forget it, that it would never work; they were too different and this was going to be too difficult. But they didn't have that option, which is why Gale had come home from the mines today to find that his mother had washed and pressed his father's old suit, neatening up the hems and cuffs whilst she was at it.

"I am not having you go to dinner at the Mayor's in some tatty old clothes," she said.

"If it's good enough for the Seam…" Gale had murmured under his breath, but his mother caught the words and shot him a stern look.

"Now, you listen here, Gale Hawthorne: if you embarrass me tonight, I will make you sorry that you were ever born. Madge did not have to confirm Katniss' lie and the Mayor did not have to go along with it – remember that when you arrive tonight."

"Alright, Ma," Gale said unhappily.

He hated being beholden to anyone – it wasn't the Seam way, and it grated on his pride. Gale didn't have much in life, but he _did _have his pride and some days that was the only thing that kept him going. He would not give the Capitol the pleasure of giving up and dying. Then there was the fact that he was beholden to the richest people in the District that made Gale feel even more resentment towards this whole situation.

_Thanks, Katniss_, he thought bitterly before instant remorse kicked in. She had only been looking out for him. It was a shit situation all round.

"And remember that you're not just representing the Hawthorne name, but the Seam, too. Any bad manners on your behalf will shame us all in front of the Mayor and whatever guests he may have over," his mother continued.

"Yeah, Gale, make sure you behave yourself," Rory said in a sing-song voice from across the small living room.

Gale shot his little brother a glare, which did absolutely nothing but make Rory and Vick snigger into their hands. However, it was Posy's wide-eyed stare that got his attention. She was gawping at him in the same way she gawped at the illustrations of princes and princesses in the fairy tale books she'd bring home from the Everdeens. When she caught him looking back, she turned her eyes away shyly.

Striding across the room to her, Gale crouched down and said, "Hey, it's still me, Pose. It's just some fancy clothes, that's all."

He ruffled the top of her head and she grinned up at him.

"Don't you dare get coal dust on that suit, Gale!" his mother called out and he sighed and stood back up, making sure he dusted his clothes down just in case.

Due to the season, there weren't any berries to take to the Undersees as a gift, so when Gale had gone out hunting yesterday, thankful it was Sunday, he'd made sure that he had something extra to show up with. He had managed to nab a brace of rabbits, carefully cleaned and skinned, to take with him. He was not going to turn up empty-handed.

* * *

Gale was relieved that it was just him, Madge and the Mayor that were having dinner. He had no idea what kind of socialising went on in the town, but he knew from Katniss that Madge had to host dinner parties due to her father's position. He had hoped that this wouldn't be one of them and was glad when it turned out not to be.

It had been hard enough to have Madge lead him into the room, holding his hand, to 'introduce' him to her father as her 'boyfriend'. The servants who had been prepping the room had goggled at him and he had just about managed to stop himself from tugging on his collar uncomfortably.

Dinner didn't get any less awkward. Gale felt out of place amongst the fine china plates and table decorations. In the Seam, you used whatever chipped crockery you could afford and none of it ever matched. The closest they came to table decorations in the Hawthorne house was a jar of wildflowers that he'd bring home for his mother when they abounded in the woods.

Then there was the presence of the maid, who attended to them, offering dishes from a sideboard and topping up glasses. It meant that they couldn't speak about the situation they'd suddenly found themselves in. The topic of the mines lasted a whole five minutes and it wasn't as if Gale had any hobbies to talk about. The only thing he did in his spare time was illegally hunt in the woods or take a girl to the slag heap (not that he'd done that since he'd realised his feelings for Katniss – despite Madge's accusations the other day) and neither of those were suitable topics.

Instead, Madge chattered about some new piece of music she was learning. Gale feigned interest. Living in the Seam, he'd never had much time to think about music. There was the odd time they'd all get together, mainly for weddings and such things, and someone would bring out a fiddle or whistle and start up a lively tune, but he doubted it was the kind of music that Madge played. Nevertheless, Gale nodded his head sporadically to her words and ate his way through the courses put in front of him. He tried not to think about how the amount of food cooked for this one meal would feed the Hawthornes for a good few days. He found himself clenching his jaw as half-eaten dishes were whisked away to be replaced with fruit and cakes and a selection of drinks that he had never even heard of.

It was only once the Mayor gestured for the maid to leave them that the tension in the room dissipated a little. At least then they had been able to talk a little more freely. Not that there had been much more to say.

Now, Gale was in the kitchen, ready to take his leave. He couldn't wait to get back to the Seam where he'd be able to rip the uncomfortable tie off. Madge, who was there to say goodbye, handed him the basket he'd brought the two rabbits in. He took it and frowned when he felt the weight. He pulled the cloth aside and scowled when he saw the dainty little cakes placed in there. He went to hand the basket back to Madge who stood watching him with her lip between her teeth.

"It's not charity, Gale!" she said with an exasperated look.

"It sure looks that way to me."

"It's _not_!" she said forcefully. "It's a thank you for the lovely meal the other night."

He stared at her suspiciously.

"C'mon, Gale. Stop being difficult. Should I suggest that the rabbits you gave us earlier were charity? Besides, the cakes won't get eaten here and I know Rory, Vick and Posy would enjoy them."

He didn't like her using his siblings to get him to accept something. Yes, they would like the cakes, but that didn't mean he would bring them home. "Take them out," he said, trying to force the basket back into her hands.

"No," she said stubbornly, putting her hands behind her back.

"Fine!" he said, irritated. "I'll do it, then."

Setting the basket down onto the kitchen table, Gale flung the cloth aside and put his hands in, ready to take the cakes out. He hadn't even managed to get hold of one before Madge flung herself against him, pulling at his arms to stop him. She had surprising strength for such a tiny little thing and Gale was forced to spin around and pinion her arms to her side to get her to stop fighting him.

"Why won't you just take them"? she asked with a huff. Her cheeks were pink from her exertions, and her hair was mussed. Her breath panted against his neck in warm puffs as they stood gazing at one another. One small hand reached up and rested against his breastbone. "Please, Gale. I would like to thank Hazelle for being so hospitable the other night. Why won't you allow me to do so?"

Gale found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Madge looked more human like this; more like a girl he could actually date rather than the cool and poised Mayor's daughter who always walked around looking so serene. For one crazy moment, he was tempted to lean down and kiss her, to see if her lips were as soft as they looked.

"Ooh," a voice tittered from the doorway, and Gale was able to finally able to tear his eyes away from Madge and into the avidly interested face of the maid. "Don't mind me. I'll be out of your way in a minute and then you can…carry on."

The insinuation was galling to Gale, especially when he considered what he had nearly done, and he wanted nothing more than to shove Madge away and declare that Martha could not be more wrong, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Instead, he dropped his hands away from Madge's arms, who confused him by stepping closer and circling her arms around his waist. She smiled shyly at Martha and rested her head against his shoulder. Gale stood there looking a little bewildered until Madge pinched his waist and he suddenly realised what she wanted him to do, so he quickly brought his arms up to enclose her in them. He feared that the smile on his face was more of a grimace than an actual smile, but he guessed they must have been more convincing that he thought. Martha heaved a sentimental sigh as she glanced at them before leaving the kitchen.

"Well, that could have been worse," Madge said in a matter-of-fact voice, unlinking her arms and stepping away from him. She picked the basket up once more. "Just take it, Gale, and stop being so pig-headed."

Desperate now to leave before he did something he regretted, Gale grabbed it out of her hands. "Don't even think about trying such a stunt again," he grunted at her, before he disappeared out of the backdoor.

* * *

"You're welcome," Madge muttered, irritated.

She didn't understand why Gale Hawthorne always had to be such a pain in the ass. Then again, Katniss hadn't been much better when it came to gifts and Madge had learnt early on not to offer to share her lunch with her. All it achieved was a prickly demeanour and even less conversation than usual, which usually meant total silence.

That had at least changed when Katniss came back from the arena. She and Madge had spent a lot more time together and it had been nice. Any issues over sharing had gone as Katniss now had whatever she wanted at her disposal and didn't feel as if Madge was offering her charity.

Madge didn't know much about the Seam, but what she did know was never to offer anyone anything unless you wanted it flung back in your face, which was pretty much what had happened tonight. The annoying thing was that Madge hadn't even meant it as charity. It was a genuine thank you to the Hawthornes for their hospitality the other night. Madge hadn't even realised they had intruded at dinner time as it was generally eaten a few hours later in Town, but there had been no hesitation on Hazelle's behalf to invite them to eat, and, as they had come empty-handed, Madge had wanted to send something back with Gale.

She'd agonised over the choice, too. She had wanted to send something more substantial than a dozen or so fairy cakes. Something that would actually feed them for a day or two, but she'd automatically known that it would not be accepted, so she'd deliberately over-ordered the dessert from the Mellark bakery, wanting Gale's younger siblings to have a nice treat.

"Has he gone?" Martha asked, sticking her head around the door.

"Yes," Madge replied.

Martha came in, a smile on her face as she straightened the ribbon at the back of Madge's head, clearly thinking it had been dislodged during a moment of passion rather than a battle over a basket of cakes. The thought brought colour into Madge's cheeks.

"He's very dashing," Martha said conversationally.

There were many things Gale Hawthorne lacked, but a dashing air was not one of them. He was one of those people who had eyes on him wherever he went. It wasn't all down to his height and good looks, although they certainly helped, but he had a strong aura about him. It was dynamic and gave the feeling that if in the right circumstances, he'd be a natural leader. Someone who would take control and think of solutions. It had always made Madge a little nervous in his presence.

He could be charming, too, when he set his mind to it. Madge had seen glimpses here and there. He'd never used it on her, of course, instead choosing to be brutally blunt and keen to blame her for the circumstances of her birth. It wasn't her fault that the Seam was so terrible, or that the residents were constantly at risk of starving to death, but the way Gale would sometimes glare at her, she would feel as if it were.

Tonight, there had been a surprising lack of digs at the wealth all around him. Maybe it was that which had lulled Madge into a false sense of security regarding the extra cakes for his family. It had made her think that he'd actually take them without creating a fuss.

"And despite the differences, you make a nice couple," Martha continued, obviously looking for some kind of reaction.

Madge gave the woman a smile. "Do you think so?" she asked, genuinely curious as to whether they'd actually be able to pull this lie off.

"Oh yes. It is nice to see you with someone who can bring the lighter side of you out. You can be so solemn at times, Madge, but tonight you were so gay and chatty, and if this boy can bring that out in you, who cares if he's from the Seam? It's not as if your father does," Martha said, passing her a cup of camomile tea.

_Nerves,_ she thought. It was all down to nerves. Plus the thought of Gale bringing a light side to anything was laughable. She could count the number of times she'd seen him smile. "I have fun with him," Madge lied.

"The pair of you are so affectionate, too," Martha said with a wistful sigh.

Madge almost choked on the tea she was sipping. _Affectionate?_ She thought. Of course she was pleased that her struggle with Gale over the cakes hadn't looked like a fight, but it was strange to think of her and Gale in any kind of intimate terms. Then the realisation that she would actually have to feign affectionate touches with him hit home and made her flush.

There had been something unnerving about being that close to Gale. It had caused butterflies in her stomach as she had hugged him. He had smelt like the outdoors – fresh and slightly smokey, and his shoulder had been conveniently placed so she could rest her head against it. It was almost as if they fitted together like two pieces of a puzzle. It had confused Madge then and it continued to confuse her now.

"Madge, darling?" her father called from the dining room.

She breathed out a sigh of relief at her escape from the direction the conversation was taking, setting her half empty teacup down on the table, and giving Martha a quick smile before she disappeared down the corridor.

"Overall, that wasn't too bad," her father said as she entered the room and sat back down at the dining table. "The hostility was somewhat muted."

"Thank goodness for small mercies," Madge said with a wry smile.

"However, the pair of you are awkward together," Symeon said.

Madge reeled a little from her father's no-nonsense words. Maybe she was feeling especially vulnerable tonight, but she hadn't expected her dad to go straight to the point.

"It takes time," she said.

"Time that you don't have. The Victory Tour will descend on us soon, Madge, and you and Gale have to be ready. President Snow won't personally be here, but it will be televised and there will be people in the entourage who will report everything back to him. He'll be looking for any weaknesses and we cannot afford to give him one."

"Martha was sold," Madge said in her defence. "She's just been telling me what a cute couple we make."

Her father gave a snort. "Martha's been waiting for you to bring a boyfriend home for the past year. You won't fool others with displays like that."

Madge sighed and put her head in her hands. She knew her dad was looking out for her. Since President Snow had come to them with Katniss' lie, they'd had no choice but to either throw Katniss and Gale to the wolves or go along with it. And the first choice had never been an option, not for Madge. However, that now left them with having to sell this whole-heartedly or face the wrath of the president.

"You need to spend more time together," her father continued. "You need to be comfortable and you need to touch each other. Right now you hold hands like forced children on a school trip."

"It's not as easy as you think," she muttered.

Symeon stretched his arm across the table and patted her hand. "I know, sweetheart, but you committed yourself to this. There can be no half measures, not unless you want us all dead."

Madge gulped. When her father put it in such black and white terms, she realised just what she had taken on. "We'll work on it."

"Every day," her father said with emphasis.

"I'm not sure Gale will be able to do that. He works in the mines, so it's not like he has lots of spare time."

"It doesn't matter. He's going to have to make the time. You two have to be more relaxed around each other."

Madge imagined telling Gale that it didn't matter just how exhausted he was, he was going to have to see her anyway, and mentally groaned. No matter how she worded it in her head, Gale reacted the same way: with a scowl and harsh words about how not everyone had time to socialise because they had to work twelve hour days in a dark and dangerous pit.

Then there was the issue of just what they were going to do. It wasn't as if Gale had the money to take her out in Town, and she doubted he'd accept her giving him money to pay for things.

"I guess I could go to his house more often, if his family don't mind."

"That's probably the best option. I remember where the majority of the Seam boys took their dates from my days at school and if I hear even a whiff of a rumour about you there, Margaret Undersee, nothing will save that boy from my wrath."

Madge rolled her eyes. It's not as if the slag heap was a dream destination of hers but she decided to tease her father. "But, Daddy, what's the difference between there and behind the school where the Town boys take their dates?"

Symeon lowered his glasses and frowned at Madge. "And what would you know about that?"

She gave a cheeky grin. "Just that you took mom there for your first date."

Her father looked taken aback for a minute before he tipped his head back and laughed. "You little minx," he said. "Go to his house or bring him here, I don't mind either way. But no trips to the slag heap _or _behind the school for you, young lady!"

"Yes, sir," she said with a mock salute before giving him a kiss on the forehead and heading up to her room.

Madge sat wearily on her bed before rubbing eyes tiredly, the past few days catching up with her. She'd had trouble sleeping since this whole mess had started, and when she did manage to sleep, President Snow invaded her dreams. He'd watch her with those cold and calculating eyes and she'd wake up with her heart in her mouth and sweat beading her brow.

_Is this what Katniss deals with every night?_ she wondered. _It's probably ten times worse for her. She also has the memories of the Games to haunt her._

It was no surprise that her friend had come home even quieter than usual. It had always been rare to get a smile from Katniss. The happiest Madge had ever seen her was when she'd come to the Mayor's backdoor with something to sell. There might not have been any smiles, but there had always been an air of satisfaction about her. Now it was rare to sense that from Katniss. Madge hated that the Capitol had robbed that tiny bit of happiness from her friend.

Sighing, Madge debated on whether she could be bothered to remove her clothes or whether she should just lie down and sleep. In the end, she settled for a medium, tugging her clothes off and dumping them on the floor before she crawled under the covers. She was far too lazy and tired to shake out her dress and hang it up, or to root around for pyjamas.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thanks for much for your continued reviews and as always to swirlsofblack for all her help!**

* * *

Madge didn't realise just what a sprawling mass the Seam was until she was there on her own trying to find her way to the Hawthorne house. Her father had known where to go the other night and she'd followed behind, far too interested in looking at everything around her to pay attention to the direction her dad was taking. Not that it would have helped anyway. The only landmarks were things people had in the small dusty plots that were supposed to be their yards. Otherwise it was just one anonymous block of poverty and coal dust.

Needing directions, Madge wished she possessed the bravery to approach someone and ask the way rather than just wondering around aimlessly, but there was no hint of friendliness on the faces of those who stared at her.

Finally, she spotted a glimpse of blonde amongst all the dark heads and darted forward, recognising Ivy Everdeen.

"Mrs Everdeen," she called out.

Katniss' mother turned around and her eyebrows rose when she saw just who was calling her. "Madge? What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to find the Hawthorne house," she said. "Would you mind showing me how to get there?"

There was no lessening of the confusion on Mrs Everdeen's face. "Of course I can, but why do you want to go there?"

"I want to see Gale," Madge said.

It wasn't until Mrs Everdeen's brows rose again that Madge realised how strange that probably sounded. While she and Katniss might be friends, Mrs Everdeen would know that she and Gale weren't.

"Gale? Gale Hawthorne?"

Madge nodded and mentally winced at the assessing look Mrs Everdeen gave her, almost as if she was sizing her up and seeing something new about her. "I don't know if you mother ever told you this, Madge, but I knew her when we were girls," Mrs Everdeen said, the assessing gaze in her eye at odds with the casual tone she'd adopted.

This was news to Madge. Then again, as she got older, the less frequent were the days when her mother was coherent enough to talk to her in general and she only ever spoke about the past in conjunction with her father. They had never spoken about her childhood or friends from that time. It was too painful for her mother and Madge didn't want to cause her any distress.

"I was best friends with your aunt, Maysilee," Mrs Everdeen said. "Has anyone ever told you how much you look like her?"

Madge nodded, not trusting herself to say anything on a subject that was raw for her even though her aunt was nothing but a bunch of photographs in a dusty album that she'd found once when playing in the attic. However, the spectre of her aunt Maysilee had long lain over the Undersee household. Even if Madge hadn't found the photographs, she would have known that she looked like her aunt because her mother would sometimes call her Maysilee when she was dazed from the morphling.

A sad expression came over Mrs Everdeen's face. "I was with her when she was reaped. Your mother and I clung to her almost as if that could save her from having to go up to that podium and off to the Capitol. She was braver than the two of us. She marched up there, her shoulders straight and her head held high. Has your father ever told you about those Games?"

"Y-yes," Madge stuttered. It wasn't something they spoke about often. In fact, the last time her father had talked to her about it was just before her first reaping. He had probably imagined that he would install some kind of bravery into her, but it had the opposite effect. She'd been plagued by nightmares leading up to that terrible day when she'd stood in the square in her best dress, with the golden Mockingjay pin fastened onto the material, convinced that she would be reaped.

The fear of following her aunt into the arena had never fully gone away and had actually reached a pinnacle during the last reaping. She'd taken extra care with her clothes on that day, sure that she would echo her aunt in yet another aspect and be reaped at the age of sixteen. If she was going to follow in her footsteps, then she had wanted to honour her aunt's memory. It was probably why she'd reacted so badly to Gale's comment about her dress. He'd touched a soft spot and she'd been unable to swallow her response, as she probably would have done on another day.

Well, Madge hadn't been reaped, but the day had been awful nonetheless, and District 12's female tribute had had gone into that arena wearing her aunt's Mockingjay pin, anyway.

"She surprised us all, finishing fifth. You wouldn't have believed it, such a skinny little thing she was, and gentle, too." Mrs Everdeen continued, giving her a sad smile. "She liked music and Katniss tells me you do, too. She had a songbird that her parents gave to me when she didn't return."

Madge was unsure of just why Mrs Everdeen would choose to talk about this now. It was a strange topic to discuss randomly out of the blue and it wasn't as if Madge had not been coming to her house a lot since Katniss had returned and moved up to the Victor's Village. She was sure that if Mrs Everdeen wanted to discuss her friendship with Madge's aunt, she could have done so on one of those occasions.

"I wish I'd been able to support your mother more in the years afterwards. I thought she had moved on with her grief when she met and married Symeon. Of course, that was when I met Edur," she said, reaching out and patting Madge's shoulder. "Once I married him and moved here I lost contact with all my friends from Town. I loved Edur but I would not wish to see another Town girl have to struggle with forging a new life for themselves out here."

Nodding, Madge hid the desire to squirm as she realised where this conversation was going.

"Living in the Seam is not easy, Madge," Mrs Everdeen continued. "You'll lose contact with all your old friends and have to carve out a new life for yourself. To make matters more difficult, the people here are not easy. It's a hard life that I would not wish on anyone. You think about that before you go getting yourself tangled up in something so complicated."

Embarrassed and wanting nothing more than to tell Mrs Everdeen that she had it all wrong, Madge bit her tongue. Of course she and Gale were going to have to come out publicly and sooner rather than later. She also doubted that the other advice she was bound to get would be as kindly as Mrs Everdeen's words to her right now.

Taking a deep breath, Madge took the plunge. "Thank you, Mrs Everdeen, but sometimes your heart doesn't necessarily listen to wisdom."

The sad look that passed over Ivy Everdeen's face had her wanting to cut out her tongue. She had not meant to bring up painful memories. "I know that well, child. Just think about what I said."

"I will."

"Come on, it's been a while since I saw Hazelle. I'll take you to the house, but the mines aren't out yet."

"Oh," Madge said, feeling even more uncomfortable.

* * *

The girlish laughter had Gale stopping before he pushed open the front door. It was too young to be his mother and too old to be Posy, which meant visitors. He peaked through the door and gave a small groan when he saw Madge sitting at the table with his mother and Ivy Everdeen.

After being made to stay late with his crew so they could meet the daily quota, he wanted nothing more than to fling himself onto the sofa and have his mother rub away the knots that plagued his shoulders and neck, but that wouldn't be happening now.

Deciding that standing out here wasn't going to get Madge to leave any quicker, Gale walked in.

"Gale!" his mother said cheerfully. "You're home late."

"Yeah," he grunted. "Thom was sick so we didn't make the quota in time."

This was not news to either his mother or Mrs Everdeen, both of whom were used to the way the mines worked, but he saw the frown that flittered onto Madge's face. She opened her mouth almost as if to say something, before her eyes flicked around the room and took in just how unsurprising this news was for everyone else, and she shut it again.

"Go wash up," Hazelle said. "I'll just warm your food."

The freezing cold water helped drive the tiredness from his system and he knew that hot food would revive him further. The thought had him eagerly making his way back into the living space.

His eyebrows rose when he saw that his mother had put his plate next to Madge. There was plenty of space to sit around the table as the kids were sitting in the space between the sofa and the battered TV; Vick and Posy were playing with some roughly whittled wooden animals while Rory puzzled over his school textbook.

However, Gale saw the speculative way that Mrs Everdeen watched him so he slid into the chair beside Madge with no complaint, his mother giving him a tiny nod of approval. Madge smiled up at him and he blinked a little at the bright open expression on her face, before his eyes flicked back to Mrs Everdeen who continued to observe them intensely.

"Hi," he said a little gruffly, his lips curling up a little as he took in how cheerful she looked – as if she was really happy to see him.

Then his mother said something to Mrs Everdeen and Gale remembered just what really was going on between them and turned to his food.

As he ate, Gale only kept half an ear on the conversation around him. He wasn't interested in who in town was doing this and that, but thanks to his mother's questions, he now knew more than he ever wanted to about the former apothecary's problems and just how Ivy Everdeen had turned the shop around. Katniss had brought her mother's old family shop as soon as the old apothecary had been forced to sell up. It wasn't something that had affected many families in the Seam, thankfully. There had been fears that once Mrs Everdeen returned to the Town, her healing skills would be lost to those too poor to afford apothecary prices, but that hadn't been the case.

His hunger satiated, Gale put his spoon down and leant back in his chair. However, before Hazelle could come and collect the bowl, Madge picked it up and took it over to the sink before turning to the small gas hob, picking the kettle up and filling it with water, obviously intending to make tea. Gale's eyes didn't leave her as he digested this surprising development.

"Don't worry, Madge. I'll make the tea, you go and sit with Gale. I'm sure he could use some good company after his shift in the mine," Hazelle said, giving the younger girl a smile.

What Gale could really do with was having his house to himself and being able to lie down on the sofa and have his mother soothe his aching muscles, but he couldn't exactly say that with Mrs Everdeen watching his and Madge's every move.

As Madge sat back at the table, she scooted her chair closer to his, and placed her hand over his on the table, her knee knocking his thigh in a warning that he didn't need. He wasn't stupid – he knew that they couldn't tell Katniss' mother the truth. Katniss had taken charge of her household once her father had died and Gale remembered how catatonic Ivy Everdeen had been for a while. It had been talked about in the Seam for months after the mine accident: the Townie who couldn't come to terms with the realities of life in the Seam. There was no way Katniss would burden her mother with President Snow's threats. It would break her once more.

So he turned a challenging gaze Madge's way as he laced his fingers through hers and brushed his thumb to and fro across her palm. He developed a teasing smile as the colour mounted in her cheeks. She wasn't as cool and collected as she liked everyone to think.

Their hands stayed that way as they sipped their tea and chattered about inconsequential things – well, Madge, Mrs Everdeen and his ma did. Gale commented a few times but didn't have much to add to the conversation. Then again, Mrs Everdeen was used to Katniss so she didn't find his lack of words particularly odd.

As things went, hand holding wasn't the worst feeling in the world. He'd never really held hands with a girl before. Katniss would probably have taken his arm off if he'd tried it out in the woods, and whilst he'd taken a couple of girls to the slag heap, they hadn't been girlfriends or interested in holding his hand. His mother was patently amused by it, shooting Gale entertained glances. However, Mrs Everdeen looked almost sad by the development. She rarely took her eyes off their linked hands and her mouth turned down several times. Gale would be a fool if he didn't know why. She was seeing herself in Madge; the bright young girl who left the relative riches of the Town for a life of struggle in the Seam, only to have the poverty and dangers of the place take her husband all too soon. He wanted to reassure her that he wouldn't do that to Madge, but he couldn't as he was tied to this façade.

Soon Mrs Everdeen was ushering Madge out the door, telling Gale not to worry, she would escort her home. There was no time for anything other than a brief, "see you later," from Madge as she was towed out the door.

"Poor Ivy," his mother said as she closed the door behind them. "She's being more protective of Madge than she probably would be of Katniss in this situation."

Gale sat back down and shrugged. "She knows Katniss can fend for herself. Madge wouldn't last two seconds in the Seam."

"I don't know. She's a fast learner. She noted my routine with meals and reproduced it flawlessly when she cleared your things away and went to make tea."

"It's a bit different playing house in the Seam for one night than actually living here."

"You underestimate her, Gale. I saw your surprise tonight at the little things she did to make it seem as if the pair of you are truly together."

"A bit of hand holding, that's all," he said dismissively.

"She sold it to Ivy Everdeen before you even came home."

"Well, at least we know she can sell it. Our lives are depending on it."

"Yes they are," Hazelle said with a pointed look. "So make sure you give that girl your full respect."

Gale rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm going to sully her good name by taking her to the slag heap for everyone to gossip over."

"That's not what I meant, Gale. A trip to the slag heap with your girlfriend wouldn't be that remarkable. However, you _do_ need to show her a lot more respect that you have been. I don't want to hear any more pointed comments about wealth or how someone from Town cannot understand the Seam. That girl is trying her hardest and don't fool yourself into thinking she has to. She could have denied everything Katniss said and we'd probably all be dead, just so Katniss could learn a lesson."

He gulped at his mother's blunt words. Finding out that his life had been threatened by President Snow had scared Gale. Of course it had. He didn't have a death wish and he worried about who would look after his family if something were to happen to him. But it was nothing compared to the pure terror that shot through him at his mother's words. He'd known that if he was deemed important enough to Katniss to be a target then his family probably were as well, but to hear it stated so starkly by his mother had him frozen to the spot in fright.

Then to think it was Madge Undersee who had stood between him and President Snow following through on his threat had him feeling guilty for all the times he'd belittled or been rude to her.

"You're right, Ma. I can't promise never to get irritated with her but I will cut her some more slack."

Hazelle came over and cupped his cheeks between her hands. "She's a good girl, Gale. For all her fancy upbringing, she isn't a snob, and she doesn't look down on us. She has a kind heart so meet her halfway, alright?"

He nodded. He could do that.

* * *

Madge felt weird turning up at the Hawthorne house for the second night in a row. It was made even worse by the fact that she hadn't even had the opportunity to discuss with Gale what her father had said, so they weren't even expecting to see her so much.

She'd left later this time, conscious that by constantly eating there she was probably a drain on their food. She also didn't want to always be there when Gale got home. He probably wanted to relax without his faux girlfriend hovering around the small living space.

So, she waited until she had eaten at home. It was another solitary meal, her father still being over at the Justice Building and her mother still not well enough to come out of her bedroom. She had been ill a lot since Katniss and Peeta had won the last Games and Madge thought it probably brought back painful memories of Haymitch's victory and what that had meant for Maysilee. Madge wished there was something more she could do for her mother, but beyond making sure she was comfortable, there was nothing.

How much she'd enjoyed the lively company of the Hawthornes was brought home to her as she ate in silence. Food didn't seem as enjoyable when it was just you sitting in solitary magnificence. Martha also refused to eat with Madge, saying it wasn't fitting, and Madge couldn't conduct a conversation over her shoulder as Martha insisted on serving her as if it was a dinner party.

The door was opened by Gale's brother, Rory. "Gale," he called over his shoulder. "Your girlfriend's here."

Madge couldn't help the heat that filled her cheeks at Rory's words and she wondered just what Hazelle or Gale had said to the younger Hawthornes. She doubted that they would be burdened with the real reason why Madge and Gale had struck up such an unlikely relationship. At least they didn't view her with any resentment or hostility.

Rory opened the door wide and beckoned for Madge to come inside. As she moved into the small house, she stopped as she saw Gale lying face down on the floor whilst little Posy walked up and down his back, giggling.

"Er…I can come back another time," Madge said, unsure as to what was going on.

Gale popped a sleepy eye open. "Hey," he said and gestured for her to make herself comfortable on the sofa, where Vick was curled up at one end, his book angled towards the oil lamp that sat on the nearest table.

Madge sat and then watched fascinated as Gale's long arms shot out and caught Posy's little legs, turning them both round so that he now faced upwards, and tickled her as she shrieked with laughter. There was an informality between all the Hawthorne siblings that fascinated Madge as an only child. Keeping hold of Posy's legs and throwing her over his shoulder, Gale rose smoothly off the floor, and dumped his sister head first in Vick's lap before he slumped onto the free cushion in between Madge and Vick.

"I didn't think you were coming tonight," he said.

Shooting a quick glance towards the younger Hawthornes, who were watching her and Gale avidly, Madge gave a quick, uncomfortable smile. "Yeah, I had dinner at home," she said as if that explained her late arrival. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"Nah. Posy took advantage of the fact that I was too tired to get up after Ma gave me a massage. Fancy going for a walk?"

"Only if you're not too tired," she said in an unsure tone of voice, aware that Gale worked long hours and that she was cutting into the little recuperation time he got.

"Nope," he said, getting up and offering her a hand before he looked at Rory. "Tell Ma I've gone out with Madge."

"To the slag heap?" Rory asked with a mischievous look.

His words had Madge blushing brightly.

"What would you know about the slag heap?" Gale asked, cuffing his brother around the head. "But if Ma asks, we'll be at The Meadow and then I'll walk Madge home."

"Don't do anything _I_ wouldn't do," Rory said with the unabashed glee of a twelve-year-old tormenting his older brother.

"Smartass," Gale muttered under his breath as he held the front door open for Madge, who could only offer an embarrassed wave to the trio of giggling Hawthorne kids on the sofa.

"Sorry about that," Gale said once they were out on the street and walking towards the Meadow.

"It's alright. I take it they think we're dating normally?"

"Yeah, they've been having far too much fun teasing me about it. Well, Vick and Rory have. Posy thinks you look like a princess."

Madge laughed at that. "But they're okay with it?"

Gale shrugged. "Doesn't really matter if they are or they aren't. But they seem fine if that makes you feel better."

For some reason it did. "I'm sorry for coming again," Madge said as they entered the Meadow. "But my dad thinks we need to spend time together, you know, so we don't appear awkward with each other in front of the others. I don't want to inconvenience you and your family, though."

There was a puff of amusement from him at her words. "Shouldn't I be apologising to you for the inconvenience? After all, I'm pretty sure you got lumbered with this whole situation thanks to the threat on my life."

She didn't know what to say to that and made a non-committal noise instead before she sank down onto the same log they'd sat on the other night.

"Why did you go along with it?" Gale asked curiously. He'd already asked her this question last week but her answer hadn't really satisfied him and he wanted to know just why she'd go out of her way to protect him. "This has got to be nothing but a hassle for you and why do you care if President Snow decided to kill me anyway?"

Madge shot him an incredulous glance. "Is that really what you think of me? That I'd be fine with you being killed just because of the threat you _might_ post to President Snow?"

Resting his right boot on the log beside her, Gale stuffed his hands into his back pocket and looked up at the sky. "It's not as if the death of one miner in the Seam would personally affect you."

Outraged at his casual words, Madge jumped back up. "I'm not heartless," she said. "If something happened to you, Katniss would fall to pieces, and besides, it would matter to me! We might not be friends, but I wouldn't wish you _dead_, Gale, especially not like that."

"Alright," he said, holding his hands up in surrender with a half-smile. "I didn't mean to upset you. Just interested in why you agreed to go along with this, that's all."

"I can't believe you even had to ask! Just because I'm the Mayor's daughter, it doesn't mean I'm some evil Capitol stooge!" she replied, annoyed that he would think of her in such a way.

Gale put his hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that," he said and she huffed, irritated. "It's just you're putting yourself and your family on the line for me. It's unusual, that's all."

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Madge observed him contemplatively. "So, your question had nothing to do with you being from the Seam and me being from Town?"

"For once, no!" he said with a smile. "I can't imagine many Seam families going out of their way for a mere acquaintance, either."

"The Capitol is good at that," Madge sighed. "Keeping the district divided. We're all so focused on the differences between Seam and Town that we lose sight as to who the real problem is."

He stared, his head tilted as if assessing her.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously.

"Not many people see it like that," he said.

"It's not enough to make us view all the other Districts as the enemy, but we must also dislike each other," Madge murmured.

"You're right. It is easy to lose sight of who the real enemy is," he said quietly. "I've always carried so much resentment towards the Merchants for having so much more than us but I know it's not their fault really. It's just hard to take."

Looking up at him in some amazement. She wasn't used to him being so open "It doesn't help that some in Town think they are better than those from the Seam," she said disgust lacing her tone.

"So how did you get to be so smart about this?" Gale asked, a thread of admiration in his voice.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Observing, I guess. Of course, I'm aware of some stuff because of my dad. It would be foolish of him not to teach me with how we have to host the Victory Tour each year. I could accidentally say something stupid that would land us in a whole heap of trouble otherwise."

Gale bumped his arm against her shoulder. "I'm glad he did. Otherwise, you might never have realised just what Katniss was asking of you."

"Is that actual gratitude from Gale Hawthorne?" she asked, teasingly.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said, threading his hand through hers. "I better get you home."

Looking down at her as they walked back towards the lights of the Town, Gale caught the smile on her face and realised that he preferred making her smile than making her frown.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. I really appreciate all your encouraging remarks and observations.**

**My thanks, as always, to swirlsofblack also.**

* * *

"Er…Gale! I'm not sure this is a good idea," Madge hissed as they neared the fence.

When it had been agreed that they spend Sunday together, she had pictured possibly walking around the Town Square or perhaps sitting in the Meadow for a few hours. She had not imagined that he would demand she change into something old and comfortable as he came to pick her up and then hustled her towards the fence.

"I need to check my snares," he said. "Besides, what are we going to inside the fence? You've been at my house every night this week, apart from last night when we were at _your_ house. Posy keeps asking if you're moving in and eyeing her bed in concern."

The thought of the youngest Hawthorne worried that somehow Madge was a threat to the tiny little cot-bed she slept on made her smile. Gale's siblings had accepted her presence in their house without too many questions. Rory had attempted some kind of interrogation, keen to be taken more seriously by Gale, but one of his oldest brother's famous scowls had soon shut down his personal questions, leaving Posy free to dominate Madge's attention with a request to play with her hair.

However, any thought of smiling fled as Gale glanced around, checked they were in the clear before he held the fence apart, took the bag she carried over her shoulder, and gestured for her to wiggle her way through. She gulped and hesitated for a moment.

It wasn't the first time Madge had gone out into the woods. Katniss had taken her once she'd realised just how much Madge wanted to go, but going with her friend had not seemed quite as daunting as crossing the fence with Gale. Katniss had patience and didn't laugh at any Madge's attempts with her bow, or at the sheer wonder that had Madge stopping frequently just to gaze at a flower or view. She didn't think Gale would have nearly as much patience.

"Madge," Gale said with a growl as if keen to prove her point, "Hurry up! It's now or never!"

On the walk over, Gale had lectured her on what she needed to do, despite Madge saying she'd already been out there with Katniss. "Get through the fence and into the trees as quickly as possible," he'd said. She had rolled her eyes as he had emphasised the importance of getting out of sight and not dawdling, but as she stood here, she wasn't sure she could do it this time. The prospect of President Snow having cameras out there scared her.

"I bet you didn't come out here with Katniss; you probably just said that to so you could get out of this," Gale said dismissively, a condescending smile on his face.

Stung by his words, Madge glared at him, and then wormed her way under the fence, not bothering to stop to see if Gale was following as she ran towards the safety of the trees.

He sauntered under the canopy a minute later, looking smug. "You said that on purpose, didn't you?" she asked.

"Said what?" he replied with an innocent look.

It didn't fool her for a moment. She'd spent more time in Gale's company in the past week than she probably had in anyone else's (apart from her family). She'd learnt to see beyond the scowls and general lack of charm and down to the dry humour that lurked beneath them.

"That comment about not believing I'd already been out here."

He shot her a playful glance. "I knew that remark would provide you with suitable motivation to get moving. If we'd stood there any longer, we were bound to get caught."

Madge huffed in annoyance but couldn't keep the admiration of his tactics out of her voice as she said, "You're a jerk, Gale Hawthorne."

"But a clever one," he said smartly. "C'mon, let's go and see what I can catch for dinner."

As they moved deeper in the woods, Madge couldn't help but gaze around in awe even though this was her second time in the woods. She was sure that Gale was used to coming out here and that it wasn't so special to him anymore, but to Madge it represented a whole other world. There wasn't much greenery inside District 12 and going from the drab and coal-covered roads of the Seam to this endless stretching forest of green and brown seemed almost magical.

…Until she tripped over a tree root and landed face first in a pile of rotting leaves. The smothered laughter coming from above did nothing to mollify her as she sat up and spat some mulch out of her mouth.

"You need to look where you're going, Madge," Gale said, a huge grin on his face.

She had once asked Katniss what it was about the woods that she liked so much and when she had answered that it was the freedom to smile, Madge had been confused, especially as when she'd come out here with Katniss – the worries that had her friend's shoulders so tense hadn't disappeared. But as she sat here, looking up at Gale, she finally understood what Katniss had meant. She had never seen him look so carefree, as if the troubles had been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally breathe. She stared, transfixed, at this lighter version.

"You can't sit around here all day," Gale said, holding out a hand for her to take as she hauled herself back up on her feet.

She brushed the leafy debris from her clothes and once finished, she gestured for Gale to lead the way once more.

"Hang on," he said. "You've got half the forest in your hair."

He swiftly set to work on removing leaves from her hair, giving Madge the perfect opportunity to study him. There had always been whispers among the Town girls about Gale Hawthorne. He was far too good-looking to not have been discussed. Madge had always rolled her eyes when Delly and the Endicott twins had giggled about him being worth slumming it for, embarrassed for Katniss' sake that they would talk about a boy from the Seam like that – let alone Katniss' best friend. Also, despite the fact that he was undeniably handsome, Gale's surly nature had never appealed to Madge, or how he didn't think twice about unleashing rude remarks towards her.

Now, as she gazed at him, she felt the unwelcome stirrings of attraction in the pit of her stomach. It didn't help that she knew how well her hand fitted in his, the rough calluses contrasting nicely with her own smooth skin. Then there was the way his grey eyes would light up in amusement a moment before he would let out a laugh, which was so rare and infectious it would make those around him laugh, too. When he concentrated on helping his younger siblings with something, his tongue would peak out between his lips as his eyebrows furrowed together, making him appear softer somehow, and more approachable. In fact, over the past week, Madge had been blindsided by how he was in the presence of his family. It was a world away from the Gale Hawthorne who would briskly go about his business trading his game with the merchants or the boy who would tense up in anger in face of all the poverty and inequality that surrounded him on a daily basis. She had found herself fascinated on more than one occasion.

It was then that Madge noticed that his hands had stilled and that he was staring right back at her, a question in his eyes. She cursed the fact that she blushed far too easily as his eyes flicked to her reddened cheeks. One of his hands slid down to cup her left cheek, his thumb brushing gently over a spot. Her heart skittered at the contact and, for the first time, she wondered what it would feel like to kiss him.

"Dirt," he said in a low voice before dropping his hand away and she couldn't help the disappointment that spread throughout her body as he turned away. "We better get moving."

_Stupid_! Madge chastised herself as she followed him through the trees. _Of course he wasn't going to kiss you_. _He is in love with Katniss_. _He has made that perfectly clear_.

In fact, he was so in love with Katniss that they had been forced into this stupid charade to keep him alive. Yet somehow, she had managed to develop an attraction to him, a ridiculous crush that was never going to be reciprocated. Then there was the fact that Gale didn't bother to hide his views on those who lived in Town, and for all the talk between Delly and the Endicott twins, she knew that he had never taken a Town girl to the slag heap.

Until this week, he had never had a kind word to say to her, so what made her think he was suddenly going to kiss her? She needed to get these dangerous ideas out of her mind before they jeopardised everything. Gale was never meant for her and no amount of pining was going to change that fact.

By the time they reached the first of Gale's snares, Madge had her emotions under control and she found she was genuinely interested when he taught her how to make a simple snare. He was good at it, she was surprised to note. Gale had never struck her as a particularly patient person. Everything he did was surrounded by an air of impetuosity that often made her feel like she had just survived an emotional tornado. She wondered how Katniss managed to deal with it, as it was antithesis of her friend's calm and stoic personality.

Gale almost always smouldered with passion that burnt so closely to the surface, but not here, not in the woods. Out here he transformed into someone with infinite patience who happily taught her the best way to skin a rabbit. Although, if Madge was being honest, she would rather not have ever known this. She had managed to keep her breakfast down, but it had been a close-run thing. Only the thought of how Gale would probably mock her if she looked away made her keep watching.

As she completed the last knot, Madge looked up in trepidation. He wouldn't snap at her for doing it wrong – she knew that. Inside the fence, he might take his anger at the conditions out on her and the other people who made up the Merchant class, but the Gale who hunted through these woods was a very different prospect – someone more in control of his life and therefore more forgiving towards others.

"That's pretty good, Madge," he said with admiration.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. For a first attempt, I'm impressed. We'll keep this one here and see what you can bring home for the Mayor," Gale said with a wink.

Madge laughed at the idea of presenting her father with a squirrel or rabbit. Half the time he only brought game off Katniss or Gale because he knew it put money into much-needed Seam pockets. Although there were days when the meat at the butchers was too rancid to eat. District 12 was not exactly high up the Capitol's list to supply with good food. However, that didn't mean he would condone Madge going out into the woods and bringing illegally obtained goods home herself. No, that would be taking it a step too far.

Gale didn't need to know this though, so she said, "You're planning to bring me back out here again?"

"Despite your unfortunate start, you've actually not been too bad. I reckon I can teach you to walk quietly so you don't scare all the game away, too."

Madge frowned at that. She had been trying so hard to replicate Gale's silent tread and was miffed that she had failed in her endeavour.

"Aw Madge, don't feel bad," Gale said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "You still did better than both Rory and Prim when I brought them out here during the Games."

"Really?" she asked, instantly perking up.

"Yep. Prim cried when she saw a rabbit in one of the snares."

"So this Town girl did better than two kids from the Seam…" Madge said, trailing off and giving him a sly glance from the corner of her eye.

Luckily, Gale in the woods could take a joke. He laughed and threw his hands up in a surrender gesture. "Alright, you got me there."

It didn't mean that she was going to push her luck too far, though, so she just grinned at him and asked, "Where to next?"

"Lunch and a nice view."

* * *

Gale hadn't planned on taking Madge to the rocks. It was forever imprinted in his mind as the place where he and Katniss went. On more bitter days, he remembered one morning in particular, when they had shared a loaf of the baker's bread and Prim's little goat cheese, and joked bitterly about the Reaping. It was also the first time he tried to talk to Katniss about his feelings. She hadn't understood what he was hinting at and had snapped at him instead. Gale had been cryptic, he had to admit, but Katniss had never given him any sign that she was interested and he didn't want to destroy their friendship. It was valuable, for one, but more importantly he would've missed her. It hadn't mattered by the end of the day, anyway, because she had been stolen away by the Capitol along with the baker's boy, and Gale had been struggling to find his footing with her ever since.

Pushing the painful memories away, Gale concentrated on the present. He had been surprised by how well Madge had taken to the woods, even fashioning her own snare. It had taken her a while but her fingers weren't clumsy – they were rather nimble. From all the piano playing, he guessed. She'd been thrilled at her success, too, her face lighting up as he congratulated her.

Now she sat entranced, staring out over the valley with a roll halfway to her mouth.

"If you're not going to eat that…" Gale said teasingly, patting his stomach.

Her cheeks reddened as she realised just how she'd been sitting and she finally brought the roll to her lips and took a bite.

The packed lunch had been of much higher quality than anything he usually ate. Gale had objected at first. He had a small loaf of hard bread made from the coarse tesserae grain in his foraging bag and he usually just ate that with whatever greens or berries he could find. However, Madge had insisted and busied herself for twenty minutes assembling a small feast of fruit, little cookies and fresh crusty rolls filled with cheese or thin slivers of spiced meat that melted in his mouth.

"Pastrami", Madge had told him it was called. It was a delicacy from the Capitol that rarely found its way into the Mayor's household. "My dad gets it for me whenever he can. I loved it when I first tried it when we went to the Capitol."

Gale's kneejerk reaction had been to spit the meat out, but he had swallowed it down with the roll. She had shot him a timid look when she had finished explaining what it was and he'd felt vaguely ashamed of just how apprehensive she'd been due to the amount of times he'd been to rude to her because of her father's position. Instead, he had made a noncommittal noise in his throat and continued to munch on the roll. It would be an empty gesture to spit it out, anyway, and he'd gone hungry enough times to not waste any food, no matter where it came from.

"Here," Madge said, handing him the tin of cookies. "Take these instead."

Taking the lid off, Gale's eyebrow's rose at the mound of cookies she'd packed. "You either have a really big sweet tooth or an exaggerated idea of how much I can eat," he commented.

Madge flushed. She did that a lot, he had noticed. It must have been her much paler skin, but it was also a handy guide for him in understanding what she was thinking – one that he appreciated after spending the last few months trying to work out what the hell was going through Katniss' mind.

"I didn't know how much you would eat," she shrugged before she looked away and continued, "And I thought you might take any leftovers for Rory, Vick and Posy."

"Madge," Gale said warningly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to go off on her. He knew she meant well and those fairy cakes had been adored by his three younger siblings and eked out to last as long as possible. But this was the exact situation he had been keen to avoid. He didn't want her to get used to packing extra to give to his family. She might not see it as charity but it stank of it all the same.

"It's okay, I'll take them back home," she said, snatching the tin back off him and dropping it back in her bag.

She looked upset and for some reason this made Gale feel bad. He didn't want to hurt her with his rejection, but she needed to understand there were boundaries that she couldn't just trample across. He grabbed her wrist. "Look, the kids don't get it, alright? They'll get used to stuff like this and then they'll wonder why we can't have it when things go back to normal."

"Normal?" she asked.

"When you go back to staying in your mansion in Town and not slumming it in the Seam."

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp, her cheeks even more flushed, and stood up, carefully brushing pine needles off her clothes. When she finally looked down at him, he was surprised by the anger that glinted in her eyes. "Is that what you think of me? That I somehow view spending time with you and your family is some big Seam adventure?"

"Isn't it?" he asked, getting to his feet, too, as he didn't like Madge standing over him. "You can't tell me that this is how you actually want to spend your time long-term? Eating a watery vegetable broth half the time because I don't have time to go hunting for something more substantial?"

For a moment, her face dropped and he was confused by the devastation he saw there before it was replaced by something a lot colder. Her finger came out and jabbed him painfully in the chest. "God, Gale Hawthorne, sometimes you are so dense!"

He brushed her finger off his jacket before he crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Madge flung her arms up in exasperation. "Firstly, I'm insulted that you think so poorly of me. Although, I should be used to that by now. Secondly, you think this is going to return to normal? We're on this rollercoaster now, Gale, just like Katniss and Peeta are, and who knows if we'll ever be allowed to get off."

Somehow he'd never looked at it in such bleak terms. Yeah, sure, he'd known they would have to pretend for a while, but he'd thought the Third Quarter Quell would take the pressure of them and by the time those Games were over, the new victor would be in the spotlight and those around Katniss would be able to slink back into the shadows from whence they'd come. He'd never really considered it as something that might well turn into something permanent.

"You really had no idea, did you?" Madge asked, a disbelieving expression on her face. "Did you actually think that at some point you and Katniss might have a chance? Despite what I said to you last week?"

Gale rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. It was true: he _had _brushed her words away, not wanting to hear them. "I thought the attention would die down," he said.

"Have you listened to _anything_ my father has said to you about this? President Snow is worried about something and Katniss and Peeta didn't exactly help matters in District 11 with their gesture towards Rue and Thresh's family. Haven't you watched any of the Victory Tour?"

"Watching Katniss and Mellark hold hands and fawn all over each other has not exactly been high up on the list of things I want to do," he said, scoffing.

"Get your head in the game, Hawthorne. There is no ignoring this because you get jealous every time you see Peeta standing too close to Katniss."

She turned away from him, her shoulders hunched defensively as she knelt and cleared up the remains of their lunch. As he gazed down at her, he felt lost and off-balance, which he noted Madge did to him pretty often. Maybe it was because he was too used to Katniss, who would politely listen to him as he spouted off about how unfair everything was, but wouldn't hesitate to take the opportunity to turn the conversation to something less dangerous.

There was none of that with Madge. It was obvious that she knew so much more than he did about how things worked and she did not hesitate to challenge him or to put him in his place. While it could make him feel a little stupid, he liked this Madge a whole lot more than the girl who had sat so quietly at school, barely talking, just seeming to exist for the sake of existing.

That realisation didn't make him feel any better about his accusations about Madge, though, and she wasn't bothering to hide that he'd offended her and made her angry.

"Sorry," he said gruffly.

She didn't appear to hear him, finishing what she was doing before she stood back up and turned to face him again. He repeated his apology.

"I heard you the first time," she said.

He stood at a loss, not knowing what to say to this angry Madge.

However, she didn't leave it at that. "What for?" she asked, not giving him an inch. "For living in a bubble when it came to our situation or for being an ass to me?"

Gale ran a hand through his hair. "Both?" he queried. "Definitely both," he quickly confirmed seeing just how unimpressed she looked.

"Apology accepted," she said, but he knew his words weren't forgotten or forgiven, and that he needed to make this right or all the progress they'd made in becoming somewhat unlikely friends would be lost, and that would be a disaster for this whole charade.

"Look, I'm an idiot. You don't need to tell me that. I'm not good at expressing myself and I'm not good at filtering the words that come out of my mouth. I say things that aren't always fair. Especially to you," he said and Madge snorted. "And I'm sorry for doing that."

"There comes a point when sorry is no longer enough," she said pointedly.

"Yeah, I kind of figured this was that moment," Gale said and was gratified when she gave him a small smile. "I'll do better, I promise."

"It's no good promising if you still see me as the enemy."

He took a couple of steps towards her then, upset that she thought that way. Yeah, he had a smart mouth and would run it off now and again, but he knew she was at the mercy of the Capitol just as much as he was, albeit a little better fed, clothed and housed.

"I don't think you're the enemy," he said, reaching out and touching her shoulder. "I never have."

"You could have fooled me."

"I don't," he emphasised, annoyed that she didn't take him at his word. "I might say stupid stuff when I'm angry about just how crap it is living here because it's hard to take sometimes, but I know you're controlled by the Capitol. The same as I am."

With a sad expression on her face, she looked up at him. "I know I have it easier than most here, Gale. I'm not blind or ignorant."

Stretching out, he grabbed one of her hands. "You certainly aren't puffed up with pride like some others," he said. "For all the shit I give you, I've always liked you a lot more than anyone else in Town."

Looking down at their linked hands, Madge gave a disbelieving sigh before returning her eyes to his. She looked despondent and he knew it was because of his words. "You have a funny way of showing it."

He stared at her, a little discomforted by just how much his harsh words had affected her. He'd never really thought about how she'd taken his barbs before. She'd been a convenient target for his anger when she'd said something stupid or inconsiderate.

Gale led her back to one of the rocks and sat her down, keeping hold of her hand and observing her fingers. "You have pretty hands," he stated, ignoring the startled exclamation that she gave. "Not all rough like mine, but not perfect like the Capitol made Katniss'. It was the first thing I noticed when she got back; all her scars were gone and it felt like they'd erased our entire history together. Half those scars she got out here in the woods with me."

As he dropped her hand, silence fell between them before Madge picked up his hands in her own. "And how many of these scars did you get out here?" she asked.

"Too many to count," he said as he watched her run her fingers over his hand.

"They can't erase your history with Katniss, Gale. You have shared too much together for that to happen."

"Then why does it feel as if nothing will ever be the same again?"

"Because it won't. Whether you like it or not, Katniss is not the girl you knew before the reaping. She's gone through things that you'll never understand."

"Mellark does, though," he said bitterly.

"Yes, Peeta does," Madge said sadly. "And Katniss will never know what it was like for you having to watch her go into that arena and fight to the death. You've both changed and there's no going back."

He was surprised by the finality of her words. When he'd said a little of this to his mother, Hazelle had tried to reassure him that with time, things would get back to how they'd once been with Katniss. He'd known deep down that it wasn't the case, but his mother had enough worries without him adding any more.

"How do you know this?" he asked, looking at her and noting the sad expression on her face as she continued to toy with his hand.

"I've seen it," she said. "Well, not really, not first hand, but I've seen the effect the Games has on the remaining families. Do you remember me telling you about my aunt who was reaped?"

She lifted her eyes to look at him then, and he nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She was in the Quarter Quell with Abernathy, right?"

"Yes. I don't think I told you that she was my mother's twin sister, Maysilee Donner," she said matter-of-factly.

His eyes widened at that. It would be awful to have a sibling get reaped, but a twin? He couldn't imagine how heart-breaking that would be.

A horrifying thought occurred to him. "He didn't…?" he asked, unable to finish the sentence and thinking how appalling it would be having to see Abernathy knowing he'd killed your relative.

"Oh, no. Nothing that terrible. They were allies in the arena, but when they made it to the final five, my aunt called the alliance off, walked away and straight into a pack of mutated birds with razor-sharp beaks that killed her. She died in Haymitch's arms," she said sadly. "My mother was never the same again. She developed the crippling headaches that she now suffers from, and as she gets older, they get worse. But sometimes I see flashes of that girl she must have been before. Dad will tell me stories about the mischief she'd get up to with Maysilee and when she feels okay, my mom will tell me about her dates with dad. But the Games ripped her apart and she never recovered."

Gale had prepared himself for Katniss dying. He had told himself that he would never see her again, especially after he saw the tribute from District 2. He hadn't wanted to hope because hope would have broken him if she had died in that arena. He'd also wanted to be prepared for whatever help he needed to give Prim, because he knew that Ivy Everdeen wouldn't be able to provide it. So he had focused on that and had not been prepared for what would happen if Katniss actually came home.

"Is that why I've never met her?" he asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't come down very much anymore. I told her about you, though."

He wrinkled his nose in embarrassment. "Bet that went well. 'By the way, Ma, there's this boy I have to pretend to love so he doesn't get killed. He's a real jerk, though, and keeps saying mean stuff to me because he's an idiot.'"

He was gratified to hear her laugh at that – a genuine sound of amusement that lit up her eyes and brought her dimples out.

"Even if I had told her this was pretend, I wouldn't have said that."

"Why not? It's true!"

"You're only an ass half the time. The other half you're actually pretty decent," she said teasingly.

"So what did you tell her?"

"That I met this guy and he's pretty great. He might not seem it at first but he's patient, kind, and cares about his family and friends. He's capable, smart and has so much passion that it could power the whole district."

Her words warmed him in a way he didn't want to analyse. He was used to being called stubborn and pig-headed and he knew that he was both of those things, too. Of course, his family and Katniss appreciated him, but to hear Madge say nice things about him was an entirely new experience and a welcome one. He wondered just when he had started caring what Madge thought about him and he found that he couldn't pinpoint a moment. Maybe it was because she'd stepped in to help Katniss and himself when she really didn't need to, or when she'd called him on his dumb plans and hasty words. No, it was probably when he had seen her in his home, fitting in so seamlessly with his family; helping Hazelle out around the house, or sitting with Rory and Vick whilst they wrestled with a complicated piece of homework that he certainly couldn't help them with. Or maybe it was her infinite patience with Posy, who was always surrounded by so many males that she had enthusiastically welcomed a regular female addition to the house.

He squeezed Madge's hand, unable to express any of his conflicting emotions into words and she gave him a shy smile.

"C'mon," he said, pulling her up and keeping hold of her hand. "I have something I want to show you. It's not much in winter but I thought while you're out here you may as well see it."

Madge looked up at him, interest in her eyes. "Oh, what is it?"

"Your strawberry bush," he said.

She laughed and he suddenly wondered if it was a stupid idea. He didn't even know when he'd started thinking about it as _her_ bush. He knew it was the Mayor who had the taste for strawberries, but because it was usually Madge who opened the door for them when they traded, he'd come to think of it as hers.

"Has Katniss already shown you?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes a little. "I love Katniss, but I doubt she'd think to take me there."

Gale made a noise of agreement. "But you do want to see it? I mean, I'm not being weird in thinking you would, right?"

It was her turn to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "No, I would like to see it. It's strange to think that there is something out here that is perceived to be mine."

He shrugged, a little embarrassed. "No one else really pays for fresh berries," he said in way of an explanation and then wished he'd kept his mouth shut as some of the brightness in her face dimmed in disappointment.

"Oh, of course," she murmured.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of a chapter last week, I was overtaken by FA Cup Final fever which ended about as well for me as Mockingjay did for Gale and then I was too sad to think about posting anything.**

**My thanks, as always, to swirlsofblack for her help with this chapter.**

* * *

"I know it's not ideal, but Dad thought it would be best if we weren't such a surprise at the Victory Tour party."

Gale grimaced. He was already dreading that party. He did not relish having to watch Katniss and Mellark fawn around each other while he pretended to be head over heels with in love with Madge.

"It's just a couple of hours, Gale. Think of it as practice," Madge said, smiling a little at the unexcited expression on his face.

As much as he didn't want to admit that he was going to feel like a fish out of water, he really felt that way. Just think: a table full of Merchants, who would no doubt be shocked at his presence in Madge's life.

"They'll judge us," he said as the patient expression on Madge's face began to slip.

"Well, yes, but that was going to happen when we came out in public anyway."

He'd always known that this moment was going to come, but he had hoped that he would be able to avoid it somehow; that there would be some way out of this whole mess without the whole of District 12 thinking that he and Madge were a couple.

"I guess," he said.

Madge sighed and he felt guilty at once again being so unenthusiastic about plans that she and the Mayor had made. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate them, but he still hadn't fully come to terms with this whole surreal situation.

"Sorry," he said ruefully. "I just don't like to set myself up to be gawked at by a load of townies."

"And you think I do?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, but you're a lot better at dealing with it than I am."

The warm and open smile that spread across Madge's features at his comment was something that Gale was slowly becoming more used to. She showed it to him more and more the longer they spent time together.

_Especially now that you've stopped sniping at her,_ he said to himself.

At some point, the hostility towards Madge had faded completely away. He had always been aware that he wasn't being fair to her when he had made the snarky little digs at her station or wealth. He hadn't needed Madge's glares to tell him that. But she had been an accessible target, fair or not. But somehow, over the past two weeks, she had earned his admiration.

Maybe it was the way that she had backed Katniss' lie despite the inconvenience to herself, or how she stood up to him and refused to allow him to take his anger out on her, or the sheer joy she'd shown in the woods when he had taught her how to make a simple snare, her smile breath-taking when she'd mastered it.

The truth was that he had come to appreciate her. She was as far away from Katniss as you could get but he liked that about her. He also liked that life hadn't beaten the optimism out of her yet either. It was a stark reminder that she hadn't grown up in the despair of the Seam, but he wasn't going to hold it against her despite his past words, because it gave him a strange sense of hope. He wasn't quite sure of what – maybe the possibility that there was the chance of something better out there.

She touched his arm as they walked back across the Meadow, drawing him out of his thoughts. Despite the cold temperature, they had decided to take a walk, needing to get out of the crowded living space of the Hawthorne house. Gale also knew that Madge felt guilty about her presence there most nights. She never said it, but he could tell that she thought she intruded upon them. He wanted to tell her that she was wrong. His mother enjoyed having an older girl around to talk to. Katniss wasn't one to sit there and just chat, and Posy definitely loved Madge's presence as she was always easy prey and would sit there endlessly while Posy played with her hair.

Gale had definitely come to like Madge's patience with his family. Coming from the calm and well-ordered house she lived in, he wondered just how she put up with the chaos that abounded every night in the Hawthorne residence, but she appeared to thrive nonetheless.

"You'll do fine, Gale. Besides, it's not as if any of them will say anything in front of us."

"No, but you know what they'll all be thinking."

"Do I?"

He scowled. "Don't play dumb, Madge, it doesn't suit you. They will all gossip about how shocked they are at the Mayor allowing you to date some deadbeat miner from the Seam. Then there will be some tutting and probably a mention of Ivy Everdeen's fate."

"So what?" she said emphatically. "I've never cared for what other people think of me and I'm not about to start now. So why should we care?"

"I just don't like it," he said, kicking at some long grass.

"Now there's a shocker! Something Gale Hawthorne doesn't like," she said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

He tried but failed to suppress the twitch of his lips. He wasn't quite sure how she did it, but she was a master at drawing little smiles from him. Grabbing hold of her hand, he twined his fingers through hers and squeezed. "You know what I mean."

"I do, but these things will be said no matter if you come to this dinner or not, and isn't it best to at least get the shock out of the way before we have to deal with the bulldozer that is the Victory Tour?"

"I guess," he grumbled.

"C'mon," Madge said, dragging him across the coal dust-encrusted straggly grass that grew at the edge of the Meadow. "The interviews from the Capitol should be starting soon and I want to see them."

Gale grimaced again. Watching the Tour wasn't high up on the list of things he wanted to do. In fact, he'd rather spend the night wandering the cold Meadow with Madge than have to sit through Katniss' giggling and Mellark's slick words. But there was no stopping her as she towed him from the Meadow and back towards his house.

They were nearly there when the shout of "Hawthorne!" sounded behind him.

Gale groaned as he recognised the voice. It was Thom, one his crewmates. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Madge look curiously up at him. "He works with me in the mines," he mumbled to her and she nodded her head in understanding.

Hands still entwined, Gale and Madge turned to face Thom whose eyebrows rose as he realised just who Gale was with.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" he asked, ill-disguised interest in his voice.

"We're just going back to watch the interviews," Gale said curtly, not keen on appeasing his crewmate's nosiness.

"Oh, been anywhere nice?" Thom asked, clearly refusing to take the hint to go away. There was a gleam of mischief in his eyes as he looked down at their linked hands and then back up to Gale's scowling face.

"The Meadow."

Gale's brusque manner was not lost on Thom, but where it would have scared away many other prying people, his friend was not one of them. Instead of walking on as Gale so obviously wanted, Thom turned to Madge. He held his hand out and said with a charming smile, "Hello. I don't think we've met before. I'm Thom. I work on the same crew as Gale."

"Madge. Madge Undersee," she said slipping her hand out of Gale's to shake Thom's.

"Pleased to meet you, Madge. So, are you just visiting the area for the natural charms or did you actually come to see this lughead?" Thom asked with a jerk of his head in the direction of Gale.

"She came to see me," Gale said with a growl that did nothing but widen the grin on Thom's face.

"If you ever get bored of Mr Grumpy over here, I can always show you the delights of the Seam," Thom said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

The sudden surge of possessiveness took Gale by surprise. It had him wrapping his arm around her waist, dragging her close against him as he said, "Stop making a move on my girlfriend, Thom."

He regretted his impulsive move a minute later as Thom winked at Madge and said, "Now that I've met the mystery girl Gale has been seen with every day for the past week, I'll be on my way. See you tomorrow, Gale."

They watched in silence as Thom walked off, whistling jauntily.

"You do realise that you gave him exactly what he wanted," Madge commented a moment later.

"Yeah," he replied irritably.

"How bad is life going to be at work tomorrow?" she asked.

"Terrible. He's going to tell everyone and I'm going to be badgered non-stop with questions."

Madge stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his cheek, her hand resting on his shoulder as she sought to balance herself. He stilled at the warm contact of her petal-soft lips on his skin. The sweet flowery scent that clung to her was a world away from the outdoorsy smell of Katniss, let alone the heavy metallic odour that hung over everyone at the slag heap. All too soon she stepped back, her shocked eyes meeting his for a pregnant pause.

"Er… the interviews are probably starting," she mumbled, her words tumbling out in a rush and she spun away from him and all but ran into his house, leaving him at the mercy of his very confused feelings.

This was by far the most intimate interaction between them and it left Gale reeling, especially coming on top of how Thom's words had made him react.

Once he had recovered from his surprise, Gale's immediate response was to dismiss the past five minutes as nothing more than an aberration. Everything had been so intense since the reaping that this was nothing more than his emotions deciding to blindside him with unseen complications. It didn't help that the ball of anxiety that seemed to reside permanently in his stomach had started to swell at the prospect of Katniss being back in District 12 once more. Her presence already guaranteed a swirl of conflicting feelings that ate away at him. Add Madge into the mix and Gale wasn't sure he was going to survive.

* * *

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Madge chanted to herself as she made her way into the Hawthorne house without checking to see whether Gale was following or not.

What had she been thinking?

She could feel her cheeks heating up just at the thought of it. For all the talk of getting more comfortable with each other, there had been no mention of any kissing – not even on the cheeks. Madge knew how deeply uncomfortable Gale was with that aspect of Katniss' false relationship with Peeta _and_ what he'd done to try and combat that feeling. So she had been grateful that it had not arisen between them, no doubt helped by the much more conservative nature of the districts compared to the Capitol.

But now she'd gone and kissed him – albeit on the cheek.

She knew what was to blame. It had been creeping up on her steadily for the past few days and she had done all she could to try and bury the unwelcome feelings. But the attraction had taken root and she had spent more than a few waking moments wondering just what it would be like to kiss Gale.

"Madge, is everything okay?" Hazelle asked, coming towards her. "Where's Gale?"

"Oh, he's coming. We just bumped into one of his crewmates outside."

Just as she finished speaking, the front door swung open and Gale entered. All the awkwardness that she'd felt when they had first started to spend time together had returned and she found herself observing him nervously out the corner of her eye. He didn't look at her as he moved across to the sofa where his siblings already sat, watching highlights from the Victory Tour as they waited for the interviews to start.

Usually, Madge would squish herself onto the overcrowded sofa, enjoying the way the Hawthorne kids would all squeeze in together and feeling like one of the family, but tonight she couldn't sit in such close proximity to Gale. She felt far too confused to be pressed against his arm and thigh. So instead, she brought one of the table chairs over and placed it next to Hazelle's. She saw Gale turn his head to look at her, but she utilised the polite social skills she'd learnt at her father's dinner parties and made small talk with Hazelle about her day.

Hazelle, always sensitive to the atmosphere in her house, must have felt the strain, but she didn't falter as she smiled and chatted back to Madge.

* * *

Gale walked with his usual stealthy gait at her side and Madge twisted her fingers into the silky lining of her coat pockets, wishing she knew what to say to him. Even without the constraint that had developed between them earlier that evening, she wouldn't have known how to talk to him about this.

Madge hadn't been able to keep her eyes off his face as the interview unfolded. The way his jaw had tensed as Peeta had gone down on one knee, poured his heart out and proposed to Katniss, who seemed genuinely ecstatic about the whole thing. Cesar Flickermann had presided over it all, gushing into the camera about young love. Then there had been the surprise entrance of President Snow, who had been all smiles and full of congratulations for Peeta and Katniss. The Capitol must have lapped it up.

Even knowing the truth of the relationship, it couldn't have been easy for Gale to see that. In the space of a few weeks he'd gone from kissing Katniss and letting her know he loved her to being forced into a fake relationship with Madge and now having to watch as the love of his life became engaged.

The silence was still unbroken by the time they reached her house, Madge continuing to debate what she could even say and Gale seemingly unwilling to speak either. As she put her hand on the wooden railing that led up to her porch, Madge turned towards him and said, "It probably meant nothing. Just a show for the Capitol and the President."

Gale's eyes turned to hers. "Yeah, perhaps."

"I'm sure they'll be able to string the engagement out."

He shrugged and said in a monotone voice, "Doesn't matter if they can't. It's not as if Katniss and I can be together anyway."

His stoic facial expression hadn't changed but Madge's heart ached for him anyway. She took a step towards him, put her hand on his arm and was about to spout an inadequate platitude of some sort when one of his arms slipped around her waist and pulled her in close, the other tipping her face up to his. Her heartbeat sped up as his head bent towards her, anticipation fizzing in her blood and her mind wiped of all coherent thoughts until her eyes met his and she recoiled at the deadened look in their grey depths.

Putting her hands against his chest to stop him, Madge shook her head and stepped back. His arm dropped away at her movement. "Don't, Gale," she murmured. "Not like this."

"Why not?" he asked in a frustrated tone. "Katniss and Mellark aren't exactly keeping the displays of affection to a little handholding."

"They have cameras on them and, besides, I am _not_ some kind of conciliation prize," she said with a flash of irritation.

He flinched at her words, running a hand through his hair as the scowl returned to his face. "I didn't… it wasn't…" he spluttered.

"I know," she said dejectedly. "Just go home, Gale, and I'll see you here tomorrow for the dinner."

Madge turned then, walking hurriedly into her house and not stopping to see if he had gone or not. She shut the door behind her and leant back on it. The tears welled up in her eyes as she realised just how engaged her affections had become. Somehow between being irritated at his hostility to seeing him at home and out in the woods, she had come to care for him.

The revelation wasn't exactly welcome. Yes, she and Gale were forced into close proximity with each other, but that didn't mean that he was going to develop any feelings for her. His reaction to Peeta's proposal proved that. He was in love with Katniss and had the bitter regret of knowing that they probably would have ended up together if Prim's name had not been called out in the last reaping. Now he was forced to watch her and Peeta pretend to be wildly in love, and, to make matters worse, he had to pretend Madge was his girlfriend.

Even if he did start to feel anything for her, would she welcome it? It would be a convenient transfer of affection brought about because he couldn't have the one girl he wanted and because Madge was there.

Groaning at her stupidity for falling for him, Madge banged her head against the door. Spending time with Gale while knowing how she felt about him was going to be torture. What she needed was some distance so she could get over him, but she did not have that luxury. They were going to have to appear closer than ever thanks to Victory Tour returning to District 12 in a few days' time. This also meant that Katniss was back and that Madge was going to have front row seats to watch Gale's lovesick pining. Just what she needed.

Stepping away from the door and further into the house, Madge called out for her father, but silence greeted her words. In one way she was pleased that he was still at work – it meant that she wouldn't have to field awkward questions about why she was so perturbed. But she would've appreciated some company to take her mind off her crappy situation.

Not that an empty house was unusual for Madge. She spent most of her time alone – or had until she'd started going to the Hawthornes almost every night. Her mother was going through a rough patch and hadn't been out of her bed for a couple of months and with District 12's two winners, her father was even busier than usual. The company of either parent would have been welcome right now, though.

* * *

Gale could quite happily forget the past twenty-four hours and the turmoil they had wrought on his emotions. He had thought nothing could be worse than watching Mellark get down on one knee and propose to a beaming Katniss, but that had been before he'd seen the sad look of betrayal Madge had given him after he had tried to kiss her.

The expression in her eyes hadn't improved tonight despite the happy front that she put on in front of her father's guests. She'd held his hand and smiled widely at the merchants invited, but he had seen the deep sadness that lurked in her eyes when no one was looking. It cut him that he was the one to cause her to feel like that. To make matters worse, he didn't know how to make it better.

Madge had given him a quiet goodbye when everyone had left and he had battered down the desire to wrap her in a comforting hug as he would Posy when she was sad about something. He doubted that it would have made her feel any better coming from him.

He sighed as he walked through his front door, loosening his tie further. His dad's old suit would be getting yet another wearing in two days at the Victory Tour dinner. It was a good job his mother was a washerwoman.

"Did everything go well?"

Gale spun round. He was already nearly at the door that lead into the room he shared his brothers and had completely missed his mother sitting at the kitchen table, a small candle next to her.

He walked back across the living space and pulled the chair out opposite to her and sat down. "Yeah, seemed to go okay. There were shocked looks and some whispers, but nothing I didn't expect."

"And Madge was alright?"

Gale frowned at that. The real answer to that question was no, but Hazelle had grown fond of Madge and he was ashamed to tell her about the move he'd made on her. "Yeah," he murmured.

"Oh? Because she didn't seem fine yesterday evening and you don't seem yourself tonight, either. In fact, you've been snippy since you returned from walking Madge home yesterday."

He hated how perceptive his mother was sometimes. She knew when her kids were lying and it was near impossible to sneak anything past her.

She was still staring steadily at him. "Are you going to tell me what you did?"

"Why does it have to be something I did?" he asked with a scowl.

Hazelle raised an eyebrow at him and he looked down, tracing the scars in the battered kitchen table. "I tried to kiss her last night," he muttered ashamedly.

Gale expected a groan and cuff around the back of the head for being such an idiot. Neither came so he lifted his head, curiously wondering at his mother's reaction. There was understanding and a small smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Aren't you going to shout at me?" he asked, confused at his mother's expression.

"How upset is she?" Hazelle asked serenely, ignoring his own question.

There was a discomposing look in her eyes and he had been sure that she would've started the lecture by now.

"There might have been mention of how she's not a consolation prize," he said.

His eyes slid back to the table, too ashamed to face his mother.

"And is she?"

"No!" he said, his voice loud in its vehemence before he drew in a large breath, modulated his voice back to a quieter tone, and continued, "I don't know, Ma! I wasn't exactly thinking very clearly."

"Because of Katniss?"

Gale nodded. "Yeah, but it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Oh?" Hazelle asked.

"She kissed me just before we came in. It was only on the cheek but still… I don't know… I thought she might be open to kissing me properly."

His mother's hand snuck over the table and patted his gently. "Oh, Gale. Even if she did want to kiss you, have you considered the possibility that she might not want it to be because Katniss and Peeta got engaged? People generally want to be kissed because of who they are, not because of other people."

If he hadn't already felt shitty about the entire thing, his mother's words would certainly have made him feel bad. "I didn't mean it like that," he protested. "I just…" Gale trailed off, not even sure what his point was anymore. When had this all become so complicated?

Hazelle squeezed his hand. "Madge probably doesn't know that."

"She barely looked at me all evening, Ma, and when she did it was with such a sad expression. I don't know how to make this better."

"Have you tried talking to her?" she asked patiently.

"To say what? 'I'm sorry I tried to kiss you but it wasn't because I was hurting over Katniss'?"

"And you're sure that's not the reason why? Because if you did try to kiss her because of Katniss, you need to tell her."

His head shot up at that and his mother held out a finger, warning him to keep quiet while she continued. "She would have every right to be angry with you, and she will be, but she also deserves to know."

Gale shot his mother a glare but floundered at coming up with a response. He was pretty sure it was more about how soft Madge's lips had felt against his cheek than about Katniss – but what did that mean?

"Look it at from her perspective. She knows you have feelings for Katniss and then all of a sudden you're trying to kiss her. But maybe that's not the reason why."

He fell silent and traced a finger over and over a looping scar on the table. He vaguely remembered creating it when he'd been ten or so and his dad was teaching him how to skin a rabbit using a scrap of cloth stuffed with grass. He'd cut straight through and scored the table. Instead of getting angry, his father had laughed and held his hand as he taught him the correct way to make an incision into the fake rabbit.

"Is it possible you could have feelings for Madge?" Hazelle pushed gently.

His finger stuttered in its repetitive pattern. Did he? He wasn't sure what he felt at the moment. He had certainly become fond of Madge. He'd never expected that but she had surprised him with her warm and open character and the way she'd stand up to him regardless of how cutting his words could be. He was sure of one thing: he didn't like the fact that she was upset and he was the cause of that.

His mother rose from her seat, patted his shoulder as she passed him on the way to the tiny little partitioned back room where she slept with Posy. She wasn't disturbed by his lack of answer. She'd probably said all that she'd needed to make him examine his feelings.

"It's possible you think you're in love with Katniss because you expected to end up with her rather than because you're actually in love with her. Whereas Madge has never been in your plans."

Gale's head hit the table at the exact same time that his mother closed her door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your continuing comments. I love hearing your reactions to the chapters. Also my thanks to swirlsofblack for continuing to beta this fic despite dissertations and other RL commitments. **

**This chapters has direct dialogue from the books so another reminder that Gale, Madge and THG belong to Suzanne Collins and I'm just playing in her sandbox.**

* * *

"Madge!" Martha called from the kitchen.

Sighing in irritation as she put down the vase of flowers she'd just arranged, Madge made her way from the living room to see what Martha wanted.

There was a goofy smile on the maid's face as Madge walked into the room. Martha gestured to the back door where Gale stood, clearly uncomfortable, with a bunch of pretty bright yellow flowers attached to spindly, thin twigs in his hand.

"Gale?" Madge said, fixing a smile on her face for the watching maid's benefit. "I didn't think I was going to see you until tonight."

"Have you got a spare moment to talk?" he asked.

She could think of other things she'd rather do right now, including facing the endless questions Martha would have if she refused, but she knew she owed him the courtesy of hearing whatever it was he wanted to say, despite the fact that she'd rather not.

"Sure," she said. "The house is busy with the catering team for tonight, so maybe we could take a walk."

Not stopping to hear his agreement or not, Madge picked up the coat that hung from the hooks by the backdoor and slid her arms in. "Tell Dad I'm with Gale if he asks," she said to Martha.

It was not until they were away from the house and walking in the familiar direction towards the Meadow that Madge asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to apologise for the other night," Gale said, his voice thick with discomfort. "I shouldn't have tried to kiss you."

Her eyes rose to his and she saw that there was a genuine look of contrition on his face.

"Here," he said, shoving the flowers in her direction.

Blinking a little, Madge took them and raised them automatically to her face to smell them. "Thanks," she said.

"I picked them in the woods. There's not a lot of choice at this time of the year," Gale said, his offhand tone at odds with the awkward gesture that had him rubbing at the back of his neck.

It was that rather than the apology or the flowers that had her remaining anger at his actions melting away.

"They're pretty," she said in a much friendlier tone. "What are they?"

"Witch hazel. There aren't too many flowers out in the woods in the winter, but you can find these dotted throughout the woods flowering on witch hazel trees like small spots of sunlight."

She was surprised by how poetic his words sounded but he had a point: the bright yellow was a welcome sight amongst the grey drab landscape of District 12. Even the snow was grey here, speckled as it was with coal dust. She stared down at the flowers, almost as if their cheerful colour could infuse her with the bravery needed to confront Gale about his actions.

Taking a deep breath, she girded herself for the uncomfortable but necessary conversation and asked, "Why did you do it?"

His head whipped around to face her, almost as if he wasn't expecting her to bring it up. Then he looked back down at the ground. "I don't know," he said.

Disappointment flooded through her. "Oh," she said, as they stepped onto the sparse grass that struggled to grow at the beginning of the Meadow.

She didn't know what she had really expected but part of her hoped that it might have been because he wanted to kiss _her_ rather than because she had a pair of convenient lips for him to kiss in order to forget about the proposal.

His hand landed on her shoulder and she stopped walking. "It wasn't because of Katniss, though, Madge. Well, not entirely."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, crossing her arms defensively as her anger flared at his words.

"It's just that I don't want you to think that the only reason I'd want to kiss you is because I was angry at Katniss and Mellark, because it's not."

She turned to face him and was taken aback by the confusion on his face. It was clear that he was wrestling with emotions that he hadn't quite yet figured out and hope infused her.

Maybe his heart didn't completely belong to Katniss, after all. Maybe there was part of him that could be hers.

"What other reasons could you have to kiss me?" she asked, knowing she was pushing him but unable to stop herself.

Gale flung his hands up in the air. "I don't know," he said irritably. "Part of me was angry because of that interview and another part just wanted to know what it would be like to kiss you; to see if your lips were as impossibly soft as they seemed when you kissed my cheek. And just what was that about, by the way? Why would you kiss my cheek like that? Since when do we kiss each other? And if you don't want to be kissed properly, then why take it there?"

She huffed out a small laugh at his explosion of emotions. This was her favourite Gale; the one who gave you an insight into what he was feeling even if it was often a maelstrom of raw emotion. This Gale was someone who felt everything, who almost burned with his passion. More importantly, this was the Gale who she was falling in love with.

Taken by impulse, Madge surged forward then, grabbing his upper arms and pulling herself up against him to press her lips against his. He stilled for a moment, his lips unresponsive and his arms dangling down his side. It was enough to make Madge start to pull back, embarrassed by her impulsive action, but then his arms wrapped around her, crushing her up against him as his head angled and he deepened the kiss. His tongue delved into her mouth and made her knees buckle when it curled over hers.

The heat of his body pressed up against hers had her melting against him. Her arms twined around his neck, her fingers spearing through the hair at his nape as his hands burned a path down her back to her hips where he held her steady against him as the passion in their kiss escalated.

They broke apart when they ran out of breath, their foreheads pressing against each other. She stared up into his eyes, the grey of which was a slim rim around blown pupils.

"What was that?" he asked, his breath fanning over her cheeks.

Madge shrugged. She wasn't quite sure what it was. She had wanted to kiss him for days now and her desire had apparently overrun her head and seized an opportunity – possibly the only opportunity since Katniss was returning to the district. The thought made her stiffen and Gale's eyes turned concerned at her tense posture.

"Not that I'm complaining," he clarified, "but I thought you didn't want to kiss me."

She sighed, not sure she really wanted to have this conversation right now. Things between them had been complicated enough with the fake dating, but add in her newfound attraction to him and she could get seriously burned.

"I wanted to," she explained. "I just didn't want to be kissed out of anger."

His cheeks darkened at her words. "It wasn't out of anger."

Her eyebrows rose at that and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Alright, so it might have been out of anger. A little bit. But I wanted to kiss you, too."

Trying to rein in her hopes at his words, she gave him a disbelieving look. "No, it's true," he said insistently. "I did… do want to kiss you."

"And it has nothing to do with Katniss?" she asked.

Gale grimaced then. "I don't know what I'm feeling towards Katniss right now. It's all one giant confusing mess and has been since before you and I were thrown together. But kissing you just now, that had nothing to do with Katniss. This," he said brushing his lips softly against hers, "has nothing to do with Katniss. This is all you."

He moulded his lips firmly to hers, gathering her up even closer to him, until all she could feel was the firm outline of his body against hers. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as he ran his hands up and down her sides, causing tingles in their warm wake. Gasping, she threaded her hands through his hair, angling her head so she could deepen the kiss even further.

Catcalls and whistles broke them apart. As they stepped away from each other, Madge caught site of a group of kids staring and laughing at them. She pressed her forehead against Gale's shoulder to hide her embarrassment.

"Get a room!" a familiar voice called out before it continued, "Actually, don't, because that would be _my_ room, too!"

"Rory! Go home!" Gale shouted back. She felt rather than heard his voice.

"Good idea, big brother! I can tell Ma about your disgraceful behaviour!"

"Little shit," Gale muttered as heavy footsteps walked away, meaning that Rory and his friends had disappeared.

Despite being mortified, Madge couldn't help the snort of amusement that escaped her throat. Gale tugged on her hair and she looked up at him and smiled when she saw the amusement in his eyes.

"You think it's funny? You wait until Rory's teasing you mercilessly, which he _will _do."

Madge was under no illusion that she would escape Rory's taunting but not even the prospect of that could dampen her mood.

Giving her a soft kiss, Gale leant his cheek on the top of her head. "I suppose you better get home."

The temptation to remain where they were, exchanging kisses, was strong, but Madge had a list of things to do that wasn't going to get any shorter, and with the Victory dinner tonight, she had a limited time to do them in.

"Yeah, I have so many things to do."

She unlocked her arms from around Gale's neck and stepped out of his arms. The flowers that had remained in her left hand for the kiss were now battered. She looked at them sadly. "I think I killed them."

Gale laughed. "I can pick you some more. I'm going back out later anyway."

"You're not coming to the Harvest festival?" she asked, disappointment lacing her tone.

"No. It seemed like a good opportunity to hunt."

"I guess so," she said trying but failing to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"I'll be over tonight, though. Your dad told me to come a little earlier," he said, tipping her chin back up and pressing another soft kiss onto her lips.

It was almost as if now that they had started, they could not stop, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Let the worries about what tonight would bring crowd her once she was home. Now she revelled in the delight that was Gale's warm, slightly chapped lips. When she caressed her tongue against his, he groaned, which caused her to smile.

"We better go," she said, reluctantly disengaging herself from him. However, she interlaced her fingers with his as they walked back towards Town.

* * *

Madge daydreamed her way through the rest of the day, reliving the feel of Gale's kisses over and over again in a blissful daze. She happily hummed to herself as she arranged flowers and helped Martha settle in the catering team from the Capitol. Even the maid's constant teasing could not remove the soft smile from her lips.

It wasn't until Katniss arrived in her room, stunning in a dress of silver, that the doubts over everything began to arise in Madge's mind again. Until then, she had felt pretty in the white dress she had worn to the Reaping, but next to Katniss she looked like a drab little schoolgirl. Even her hair seeming frizzy and straw-like next to the gleaming mass of blue-black hair that tumbled artlessly down Katniss' back.

All the insecurities that had plagued her since she'd realised her feelings for Gale flooded back. There was no way he would even look twice at her with Katniss looking so stunning. She berated herself for even thinking that she stood a chance. Gale and Katniss shared a four-year bond forged through suffering and scrabbling to keep their families from starvation. A little over two weeks of Madge spending almost every evening in Gale's company wasn't going to erase that – neither was Katniss' time in the arena or on the Victory Tour.

Her good mood crushed, Madge slipped downstairs after she heard Katniss and Peeta and their entourage go down. The lights of the cameras shone brightly, creating pockets of deep shadow as they followed the victorious pair around as they made small talk with the various officials from District 12 and their families.

Madge crept into one of these corners of darkness, needing to hide away from the smiling masses until she regained her equilibrium a little. Glancing around the room, Madge smiled as she saw Posy all dressed up in pink dress that matched the rosy hue in her cheeks. Her hair had been parted and neatly braided with matching pink ribbons that she recognised as the ones she'd smuggled to the little girl earlier in the week, away from her big brother's judgmental eyes. Hazelle was there too, holding Posy's hand to curb her enthusiasm for all the finery. The two younger boys, Rory and Vick, were also there, looking as smart as Madge had ever seen them in immaculately pressed shirts and slacks. Gale wasn't standing with them and she frowned as her eyes roamed the room, looking for him.

She jumped and a squeak left her mouth as a hand descended onto her shoulder. Whirling around with a hand clutched to her throat, Madge's eyes widened as she saw Gale leaning against the wall just to the side of her. She'd been so busy looking for him in the brightly lit centre of the room that she'd missed his presence so close to her.

"Gale!" she exclaimed. "You gave me a fright!"

"Sorry," he said in an unrepentant voice. "But you didn't appear to notice me."

"I wasn't expecting you to be lurking in a gloomy corner."

"Is that behaviour only reserved for you?" he asked, his lips turning up in a quirk of amusement.

"I just thought you'd be over there with Katniss."

His mouth turned down and the familiar scowl returned to his face as his eyes turned to where Katniss was talking to the Mayor. "Is that Katniss?" he asked bitterly.

Madge shrugged a little, continuing to watch the emotions on Gale's face rather than the show around Katniss and Peeta. "She's who the Capitol needs her to be."

"Maybe that's the problem," Gale said darkly.

Irritation rising, she folded her arms defensively and snapped at him, "Well, tomorrow the Capitol will have gone home and you'll have your Katniss back again."

She didn't want to think about what else tomorrow would bring. Regret, perhaps, from Gale for kissing her instead of Katniss, and a return to the anger.

Before Gale could reply, an amused voice said, "Ah, so that's where the _other_ two lovebirds have got to."

Madge turned away from Gale and looked up at the debauched face of Haymitch Abernathy. She had met him before, of course. As the District's only living survivor until this year, he had been invited to many of the parties that the Mayor hosted on behalf of the Capitol. She hadn't had much to do with him, though, as he tended to stand in the corner and drink solidly. That, and the constant reek of white liquor around him had put Madge off from wanting to speak to him. She had been tempted at times when her mother was really bad. She had wanted to ask him about Maysilee. Once Katniss and Peeta had returned from the Games, Madge had been grateful that she had never got the up the guts to do so. Her friends were haunted by the things that had happened to them in the arena, and Madge was always careful not to add to that by asking thoughtless questions. With the state of Haymitch's drinking, she couldn't imagine any of her questions would have gone down well anyway.

"Lurking in dark corners together, I see," Haymitch continued with a slight slur. "Something I had expected from you, Hawthorne, but not so much from her."

Madge could feel the familiar tension infuse Gale's shoulders and chest, so she slipped her hand into his, squeezing it reassuringly. "Did someone need us, Mr Abernathy?" she asked politely.

Haymitch's bloodshot eyes turned to her. "I believe the handsome cousin was demanded for an interview alongside his pretty _girlfriend_."

The way he sneered the word 'girlfriend', Madge recognised that he knew the truth about them. She wondered how and looked pensively towards Katniss, who had never said much about Haymitch to her. There must have been a bond there, though. Besides Peeta, Haymitch was the only other person who understood what Katniss had gone through in District 12 and, unlike Peeta, he had the advantage of coming from the Seam also. Perhaps Katniss had confided in Haymitch, even if that seemed unlikely.

"We can do that, can't we, Gale?" Madge said, infusing her voice with an upbeat tone that she didn't feel.

Besides her, Gale muttered something incomprehensible that had Haymitch barking out a laugh. "Leave the talking to Miss Undersee here, Hawthorne. She possesses all the charm – just try and keep that scowl off your face."

Mentally groaning, Madge watched as the scowl deepened. Elbowing Gale in the side, she plastered a smile on her face as she towed him towards the middle of the room. She panicked briefly as his hand pulled out of hers but breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped his arm around her waist instead, tucking her against his side in a show of affection that she hadn't known that he was capable of in such an environment.

As the camera team descended on them, Madge caught Katniss' eye. She looked away as she caught the flash of surprise and something else on the other girl's face.

_Did seeing Gale pretend to be in love with me bring out deeper emotions in Katniss? _she couldn't help but wonder.

* * *

All Gale had wanted this Sunday was an uncomplicated hunt through the woods. The privacy and fresh air was welcome after the stale and cramped conditions of the mines and the solitude was sorely needed after the dinner last night.

However, it was not to be. Katniss had left him a very clear trail so that he would find her in the woods, and as he picked his way along the unfamiliar path, he could not help but realise that only a few weeks ago this would have filled him with excitement. The chance to spend a few hours with just Katniss for company as he attempted to pretend that nothing between them had changed was something he would have loved. There was a pang of sadness as he realised that this was no longer the case. That somewhere between her leaving for the Victory Tour and her return yesterday, things had changed. Where he had once been so sure that he and Katniss were meant to be and, that if the Capitol and Mellark would just leave them alone, they would be together, he now had doubts.

It didn't take long for him to realise the reason for this change.

Madge.

She had burst into his life and turned his world upside down, dispelling everything he'd believed about the merchant classes and weaving her way so seamlessly into his family that he couldn't imagine the cramped little house in the Seam without her presence anymore.

And that was without the kisses.

Warmth seeped up from his stomach at just the thought of it. It hadn't been frantic like any of the girls he'd kissed at the slag heap, and it hadn't been unsure as the one kiss he'd pressed on Katniss' lips. No, Madge's kisses had been sweet and soft and strangely addictive. He wasn't sure he welcomed the feelings that they had brought with them.

Then seeing her last night, with her hair falling in waves down her back, so pretty in that white dress he'd liked but resented on the day of the reaping… In some crazy twist of fate, she'd appeared as the attainable one and not Katniss, with her fancy Capitol clothes and perfectly made up face. And she'd stayed by his side for the whole evening, her hand either entwined with his or his arm around her waist and it had been… nice. Surprising, but nice. Then as the evening drew to a close, it had taken everything for him to limit his kiss to her cheek, his family watching with Rory and Vick snickering in the background. He had wanted nothing more than to press her against the wall and part her soft lips with his tongue and to bring back that pale pink tinge that had resided in her cheeks earlier that day in the Meadow.

Shaking the thoughts clear from his head, Gale saw that he'd come to a lake with a small cabin resting beside it. With the wild turkey he'd shot a little way back down the path swinging from his belt, his bow over his back and the 'gifts' Katniss had strewn along the way in his hands, he shouldered the rotting door of the cabin aside and leaned against the doorframe, unsure if wanted to step over the threshold or not.

Katniss sat by a small hearth in front of a wood fire in the surprisingly neat little room. Gale noticed the twig broom propped to the side of the fireplace and he realised that she'd swept the room out. It looked peaceful and almost cosy.

Seeing her sitting like this in her old hunting clothes brought the anger he felt towards everything that had conspired to drive a wedge between them crashing back. It was never supposed to be like this between them. This strained atmosphere that had him unsure of just where he stood with her, almost as if the past four years had never happened and they were back to the uneasy alliance they'd shared when he'd stumbled upon her looking at one of his snares.

Her hunter's instinct had her lifting her head from where she'd sat contemplating the fire and her eyes met his. He could see the hesitancy in the grey depths as if she was assessing just where she stood in relation to him, just as he was doing.

"President Snow personally threatened to have you killed," she said by way of an opening.

It was classic Katniss; no beating around the bush or pleasantries. Madge would've greeted him, asked him how his family were, but that had never been Katniss' style.

"I know," he said with a grim little smile.

"Right. Madge," she said, her gaze dropping once more to the fire.

Mentally rolling his eyes, Gale realised that those two words were all he was going to get. He stepped into the cabin, tossing the gloves she'd left him on the trail onto Katniss' lap. "Here. I don't want your fiancé's gloves."

"He's not my fiancé. It's part of the act. You know, the same act you're putting on with Madge. Besides, they aren't his gloves. They were Cinna's," she said, handing them back to him.

For lack of something better to do, Gale pulled the gloves on, flexing his fingers at how soft they felt. He gave a small nod of approval before he said, "Let's have it."

Allowing Katniss to talk, Gale turned his attention to the food in the leather bag she'd also left for him along the path and set about making a meal for them as he listened to the mess she appeared to have made during her Victory Tour. He pointed this out to her when she finally finished.

"I know, but I have a plan," she said.

"I'm sure it'll be a stunner," he replied sarcastically.

Katniss tended to be reactive rather than strategic. Life threw things at her and she responded. She wasn't the kind to make plans. Not that he was drastically different. He might rail against the Capitol but at the end of the day when you lived in the Seam you didn't have time to make plans – you were too busy surviving.

"We should run, Gale. Like you wanted to the morning of the reaping."

Enthusiasm threaded through her voice and Gale found himself growing excited at the prospect. "I'm in," he said as he pulled her in for a hug, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around.

This was how it was meant to be. None of the crazy politics that the Capitol threw at them, just him and Katniss and their families surviving in the wild. It didn't even matter that they would be leaving in the middle of winter. This was what he and Katniss were cut out to do. It felt as if they had spent the past four years preparing for this minute.

He looked down at her as he lowered her to floor once more, a rush of affection filling his chest. He had missed moments like this when the connection between them was strong. They were a team, he and Katniss, one that refused to give up and die even when the odds had been stacked against them.

Easy words of love sprung to his lips but he swallowed them back, unsure of whether he meant them or not. Two weeks ago, he would have whispered them to her with no regrets, but too much had changed since then. It wasn't just her any more, but him, too. He wasn't the same person she had walked away from that Sunday when he'd pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Are you sure?" she asked, breaking into his confusing thoughts. "We can't get five miles outside and then change our minds."

"That's not going to happen," Gale said with certainty.

"And your mom? You'll be asking her to leave during winter with three young children. Is she going to do it?"

"I'll persuade her. I'll make sure she comes."

"I'll do the same with mine."

"Your mother will come. I spent a lot of time with her and Prim during the Games – she'll do what you ask."

Katniss searched his face, as if she was seeking the truth of his words. He wasn't lying and she saw that and gave a firm nod.

"Okay. I'll have problems getting Haymitch to come, though," she said in a quiet voice, almost as if to herself.

His stomach sank. Abernathy? She was planning on bringing Abernathy? Of course that meant Mellark would be on her list, too.

"Haymitch?" he asked.

"Yes, you can't think I meant to leave Haymitch and Peeta behind, Gale! The Capitol would torture them to find out where we had gone."

Guilt flooded through him as he realised that he hadn't given Madge a second thought. In the midst of the dream that he could finally be free of the Capitol, he hadn't spared a thought for the girl who had put herself in the firing line to make his life safer.

He turned sharply away from Katniss, stalking over the fireplace, resting his hand against the chimney as he bent his head towards the flames.

"What is it?" Katniss asked behind him, puzzled.

"I can't go," he said.

"But a minute ago –" she started to say before he cut her off.

"Just as you can't leave Mellark or Haymitch, I can't leave Madge, and we'd never get her to come. Her mother's too sick and her father's the Mayor of the District."

"You want Madge to come?"

He whirled around then, angry at Katniss for thinking just of those people closest to her. "What? You just want to leave her? If Mellark would be tortured, then what do you think would happen to Madge or her father? You dragged her into this and now you're perfectly willing to leave her behind."

"I just hadn't thought about it. I hadn't factored her in."

"Oh, so now we're only saving those people important to you?" he asked bitingly.

Her face crumpled at his words and she said, "That's not what I meant. Of course I wouldn't want to leave Madge behind and put her in danger. She's my friend."

"You have a funny way of showing it," he snapped, his irritation not abated.

Katniss tilted her head and stared at him as if she was seeing him in a new light. "She's important to you, then?"

He glared at her from under heavy brows. Katniss didn't do this – make idle conversation – and her question threw him.

"No… yes!" he stuttered. "She's done a lot for us, that's all."

It was a lame response but he wasn't comfortable talking about this with Katniss. He barely understood his emotions himself, so obviously he couldn't articulate them to Katniss, who up until a few days ago he would have said with absolute certainty was the love of his life.

"The Mayor would never come. Besides, he's probably being closely watched," Katniss mused and he was grateful she had turned the conversation away from what he thought of Madge. "Not with the uprising in District 8."

"Uprising?" Gale asked quickly, latching onto her words.

Regret flashed quickly over her face. "It's nothing," she said, clearly backpedalling. "I don't know anything concrete."

He grabbed her shoulders then. "What did you see?"

"Nothing in person. I just heard something," she trailed off, looking at him to see if her backtracking had worked. It hadn't. She knew more than she was letting on. His eyes bored into hers, almost as if he could extract the information he wanted that way. Her shoulders slumped and defeat settled on her face.

"I saw something on the Mayor's television," she said. "People in the streets and Peacekeepers gunning them down, but they were fighting back…"

She bit her lip then, clearly not wanting to continue but Gale was no longer listening. The moment he had been waiting for had finally come. And it wasn't Katniss agreeing to run with him as he'd previously thought it would be. No, it was a rebellion. A chance to end the Capitol once and for all and make sure that no other people would have to die for the Capitol's entertainment or live miserable lives, struggling to exist.

Gale could hear Katniss saying something about it all being her fault for not dying in the arena as President Snow had wanted and allowing everyone else to be safe.

His mood towards her gentled as he saw the torment on her face. All Katniss had ever wanted was to keep those she loved safe. She wasn't one for revolution, she never had been, and yet she had somehow unwittingly been caught up in one.

"Safe?" he said. "Safe to starve or work like slaves? Safe to send their kids to the reaping? You have done nothing to harm the people, Katniss – you've done the opposite. You've given them an opportunity and they just have to be brave enough to take it. If there is an uprising in District 8, why not here? Why not everywhere?"

Pain infused Katniss expression and her hands came up as she said, "Stop! Stop this! You don't know what you are saying, Gale. You don't understand the conditions in the other Districts. The Peacekeepers there are not like here. They aren't like Darius or even Cray. They don't care about the lives of the district people. You have to stop it."

"Then that's even more reason why we should start something here," he said passionately. "There is already talk in the mines. People want to fight. People want to change things. It's already happening, can't you see that?"

"No, you don't understand. We have to leave before they kill us and a lot of other people, too."

Overwhelming disappointment washed through Gale as he saw that Katniss had no desire to spearhead something in District 12. She was willing to leave and have nothing change in the district.

"You go then," he said, stepping back from her as his irritation towards her rose again.

"You were happy enough to run a minute ago. What about your family?" she asked.

"What about other people's families? What about the other families like Madge's who can't run away? This is bigger than us now. This is an opportunity not just to save ourselves, but to save everyone. Why can't you see that?"

Katniss said nothing, just looking up at him with sad eyes. She might not want to put herself on the line but that didn't mean that he felt the same way. He flung the gloves back at her and said, "I changed my mind. I don't want anything they made in the Capitol."

Gale stalked away without a second glance back. He wasn't about to turn his back on his district and a potential rebellion to save his own skin. Katniss should know him better than that. She _did_ know him better than that. It was why she hadn't wanted to tell him about District 8. She knew that once he was aware of uprisings in other districts he would never want to escape into the wilderness.

He couldn't – not when this was what he had been waiting for his whole life.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: So ****I** **have some bad news. When I started posting this, I thought that I would have it fully posted by the time I got to now. Sadly, beta'ing and editing has taken more time than I anticipated. I still have 5 chapters to go and my Ramadan fandom hiatus will start tomorrow evening. So this means that there will be a month or so before any new updates but I am hoping the majority of this story will have been edited and beta'd by then. In a peace offering, I'm uploading the last of my beta and edited chapters **

**In this chapter, Katniss is pretty chatty. I tried reigning her in but she refused.**

**Thanks for all your comments, I really do like reading what you like (or what you don't like!) about the story so far! And thanks to swirlsofblack too for continuing to help out with this story.**

* * *

Madge was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea and trying not to think about Katniss' strange, almost jealous glances yesterday and how complicated her life had become, when the pounding on the back door startled her out of her thoughts.

"Damn," she said as a drop of hot tea spilled onto her hand when she jumped at the noise.

Placing the cup back on the saucer, Madge stood and went to see who was knocking up a storm on her backdoor. It wouldn't be Gale. He had already told her that he was going out into the woods today. She had wished half-heartedly that she would get an invitation to go with him, hoping that being away from the pressures of the district would give them an opportunity to talk. She couldn't help but wonder if Gale was out in the woods with Katniss and if that was why he hadn't wanted to bring her. She had tried to dismiss the thought as stupid – Gale needed to hunt and Madge tagging along wouldn't help him with that – but the thought had stubbornly persisted, making her feel low and demoralised.

She pulled the door open and was surprised to see Gale's crewmate, Thom, outside, his hat in his hands and an anxious expression on his face.

"Thom? Is everything okay?" Madge asked.

Looking from left to right, almost as if he expected to see someone come out of the lengthening shadows behind him, he asked, "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" she replied, getting more confused by the minute.

"About Gale?"

Her heart skipped a beat at the words. If Thom was here it could mean nothing good. "Gale?" she asked tentatively.

His mouth turned down. "He tried to sell a turkey to the Head Peacekeeper. Cray would always pay a good amount for a wild turkey – but at some point during the day he was replaced with a new guy."

Madge's hand reached out to clutch at the doorframe. Her legs felt shaky as she remembered her father telling her that there were going to be changes in the District and he wasn't sure when they would be coming, but it would be nothing good.

"A new Head Peacekeeper," Madge said. "What happened?"

"He arrested Gale and took him to the square where he whipped him. I lost count around the forty-lash mark."

Her knees buckled then and Thom's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm to steady her. His hand remained, keeping her upright until she'd managed to take some breaths and her knees stopped shaking so badly. "Are you okay?" he asked.

_Okay?_ Madge thought incredulously. Of course she wasn't! This kind of thing hadn't happened in District 12 during her lifetime but she knew from her dad that it had in the past; that people had been whipped until they'd passed out and yet the punishment would still continue. Her father had said that some had even died, still tied to the stake with the whip shredding their back.

_Please don't let that have happened to Gale,_ she prayed.

It would be an easy solution to some of President Snow's problems: get rid of a potential thorn in the side and remind the Victors that everyone is vulnerable, everyone is at his mercy, Mockingjay or not.

"He's alive, though, Thom? Please tell me he's alive?"

He nodded emphatically. "He's alive – unconscious, but alive."

"Thank goodness," Madge said fervently, collapsing against the doorframe in relief. "Where is he? Is he at home?"

Thom shock his head. "No, he's up at the Everdeens. Katniss came and stopped it. She took a blow to the face and it looked as if the new guy wasn't going to stop for a moment, but then Abernathy and Mellark came and backed her up."

Relief that Katniss was there and was able to help flooded through Madge. No one else in the district would have the ability to put an end to a public whipping like the three Victors – especially as the Capitol was so wrapped up in Katniss and Peeta's romance.

"Anyway, I wasn't sure if anyone would come to tell you. I better go home now. I don't want to be out late."

"No, no. You go home and… Thom, thank you for coming by."

He smiled at her then before he threw another nervous glance over his shoulder and strode quickly down the alley than ran down the back of the official houses and towards the Seam.

Madge stood at the door for another few moments, just staring out into the deepening gloom. Snow had begun to fall as she and Thom spoke and the heavy, leaden sky promised a hefty snowfall. Shivering slightly, Madge closed the kitchen door behind her. She wanted to just grab and her coat and run up to the Victor's Village and see Gale, but she stopped herself.

Ivy Everdeen was the best healer in District 12, but her access to medicine was limited to the herbal remedies the districts had traditionally used for years, along with some rare painkillers. Madge couldn't imagine either of those remedies being strong enough to cover the pain of over forty lashes. Then there was the fact that she also knew from Katniss that Mrs Everdeen used the painkillers sparingly – preferring to keep them for patients who were dying to ease their passing – so she wasn't even sure Gale would be given any of the weak painkillers.

Unable to even contemplate Gale in excruciating pain, Madge thought of her mother. Maybe she had some stronger Capitol painkillers that she could spare.

With a quick nod of her head, Madge raced up to the third floor and her mother's room.

Knocking timidly at her mother's door, Madge hoped that she was awake. The call for her to come in had her smiling in relief.

Her mother was sitting propped up in bed. She was staring out at the snow and a book lay on her lap.

"Hi, Mom," Madge said.

"Madge," her mother said with a smile. She patted the bed. "Come and sit with me for a bit."

Madge perched on the edge of her mother's bed after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"How have you been, sweetheart? How's that young man of yours?"

She tried to summon a smile for her mother but failed miserably at the mention of Gale. Instead, tears welled up in her eyes and although she blinked them away quickly, her mother noticed.

"What is it? Have you broken up?"

"No, nothing like that. It's worse, Mom. You remember that I told you he was from the Seam and that his father died in a mining accident when he was twelve?" her mother nodded. "Well, he hunts in the woods to help feed his family and I know it's illegal, but they'd starve otherwise, Mom!"

Her mother's hand patted hers and she smiled reassuringly at Madge. "You think I didn't already know this? Sweetheart, as soon as you mentioned his name, I remembered he was the boy who would come with Katniss, hawking goods at the backdoor. Their strawberries were always so much sweeter than anything Mr Endicott sold. It's not ideal, but I'm not about to judge him for the things he does to support his family. We have it lucky here. A lot luckier than everyone else in this district."

"But something happened today, Mom. He got caught and was lashed in the square."

Maybelline's hand tightened on hers as she muttered, "So it's started again. We should have expected it. It has happened before, after all."

Looking curiously at her mother, Madge said nothing in reply, hoping that her patience would be rewarded by further information on just what had happened before.

"Did they take your young man to Ivy Everdeen?" She nodded and her mother continued, "Good. Ivy is the best person to help. She was the one they took everyone to last time."

"Last time?" Madge asked, unable to keep the inquisitive question back, desperate for her mother to talk about the past because she so rarely did.

Unfortunately, her mother waved her question away with a flick of her hand and said. "How many lashes?"

"Over forty," Madge whispered. "I wasn't there so I don't know precisely."

Maybelline drew in a sharp breath. "The herbal remedies aren't going to be enough. This boy, he's important to you, isn't he?"

"Yes," she whispered, because somewhere along the line it had become true. The pretence had stopped and she had very real emotions for him.

"Go into the bathroom. In the cabinet there should be a box with six small vials inside. Go and take them to your Gale – they are probably the only thing that will alleviate his pain."

Doing as her mother asked, Madge emerged from the adjacent bathroom with a box clutched tightly in her shaking hands. The lid was disturbed from where she had looked inside. "Mom, are you sure?" she asked in an awestruck tone.

"Your father can get me more and I have enough to last me until a new shipment arrives," she said, tapping the bedside table. "Besides, I've seen what a lashing does to someone before. I've been with Ivy when such an unfortunate soul has been delivered for her to patch up and I would not wish that pain on anyone, let alone your young man."

Putting her precious cargo down, Madge launched herself at her mother, hugging her tightly as she whispered thanks in her ear.

Stroking a hand down Madge's hair, Maybelline said, "You better get going, sweetheart. Your father will be back soon. You need to be gone before he is, because no matter how sorry he feels for Gale, he will not let you get mixed up in this sorry business. It will reflect badly on him as Mayor."

Wiping a few stray tears that had slipped down her cheeks, Madge nodded as she picked up the box again and rushed downstairs.

The snow was falling heavily now – a full-scale blizzard. Nonetheless, it did nothing to deter Madge from her mission as she battled her way up the little-used road that lead to the Victor's Village. She was grateful for the warm winter clothes that she had and her waterproof boots as she was caked in snow by the time she made it outside Katniss' door.

It took all her self-control not to leave her finger down on the doorbell, to leave it ringing until someone answered. That's how desperate she felt, and she couldn't help but ring it several times until the door was pulled open by Mrs Everdeen with Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch standing closely behind her.

"I brought this for Gale," Madge said, holding the small damp cardboard box out to Mrs Everdeen, who took it, peered inside and gave her a questioning look. "My mother said I could take them."

Mrs Everdeen nodded and with a brisk determination that Madge had never seen in her before, she turned and made her way to the kitchen. With a small nod to the three Victors who were standing in the hallway staring at her with varying degrees of curiosity, Madge followed after Mrs Everdeen.

She stopped in the doorway and a horrified hand crept up to cover her mouth. Gale lay on his stomach on top of the kitchen table, giving her a perfect view of the shredded skin that was his back. It was a mess of raw wounds where the whip had lacerated the flesh, leaving deep red gouges. Her eyes filled with tears and she took a stuttering step into the room before she stopped again, uncertain of what to do.

Gale let out a pained moan that cut straight to Madge's heart and she noticed then that his skin was sweaty and a grimace resided on his face. Her eyes flew to Mrs Everdeen, who was watching her with pitying eyes. "He's had a herbal tincture, but this," she said, holding up a syringe she'd filled with the morphling Madge had brought, "will help him hugely."

Unable to do anything but nod, Madge watched as Mrs Everdeen injected Gale with the medicine in his arm and sighed in relief as almost immediately his face relaxed as he drifted away. The tension that had inhabited the room alongside Gale's whimpers of pain faded away as if this was the sign the other occupants had been waiting for.

Prim entered the room with a large pile of bandages in her hands. Her eyebrows rose as she saw Madge but she gave her a small smile and passed the bandages to her mother.

"Katniss, can you heat up the stew while Prim and I finish applying the bandages?" Mrs Everdeen asked, not even bothering to check if her eldest daughter had agreed or not as she started to unravel bandages and applied them to Gale's back. As Mrs Everdeen did this, Prim began sort through the other bandages, arranging them on the table next to Gale so that they would be ready for her mother to place once she'd finished with the first ones.

Katniss nodded, skirting around Madge and making her way over to the stove, where she turned on the hob and then faced the room once more. She leaned back against the cupboard next to the warming stew and looked at Madge. There was a hard light in her eyes that Madge had never seen before – or never seen directed at her, at least.

"It was handy that you had that morphling lying around," she said.

Madge's first instinct was to become defensive at the slightly accusing tone Katniss laced her words with, but as she was about to snap something back, she took in Katniss' appearance; the closed, swollen eye and the cut on her cheek along with the devastated expression.

"My father orders it in from the Capitol," she replied. "Are you okay?"

Katniss' hand crept up her check and she winced slightly as she touched the bruised flesh. "I'm fine," she said.

"Have you put some snow on it?" she asked and Katniss nodded, her lips reluctantly curling up into a small smile at her concern.

It was on the tip of Madge's tongue to thank her for her actions, but she knew it would be inappropriate to do so. Katniss had known Gale for a lot longer than she had. He had been an important person to her before Madge even had any fleeting memories of him. To thank her, as if _she_ was the old friend, would do nothing to escalate the strange hostility that had sprung up between them since yesterday's Victory Tour dinner.

Instead, she said, "It's a good job you were there."

The hard light died out of Katniss' eyes as she recognised Madge's words for what they were; a thank you, but also an acknowledgement that she wasn't trying to replace Katniss in Gale's life. An understanding nod was offered as a response.

Once the light bandages had been applied – thankfully, Gale had remained blissfully unaware – Hazelle stood up from the stool where she'd sat unmoving since Madge had entered, her hand wrapped around one of Gale's and her attention focused solely on him. She came around the table to where Madge was standing and wrapped her in a big hug, whispering her thanks to her and her mother in Madge's ear.

Madge clung to the older woman, taking in the fresh, clean scent that all the Hawthornes smelt of – probably because their clothes were some of the cleanest in the district thanks to Hazelle's efforts.

Pulling back, Hazelle cupped Madge's face between her two roughened hands. "He's going to be fine. Don't you worry, Madge, he's going to be fine."

She hiccupped out a laugh. "Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?"

Hazelle gave her a fond smile. "You've seen some of the stubbornness of the Hawthornes, but you've yet to see it in its full glory. Gale will bounce back harder and stronger."

Meeting Katniss' eyes from over Hazelle's shoulder, Madge saw that there was something about those words that worried her friend. She stored the information away for later, wanting to ask Katniss why she looked so anxious. If anything, Katniss owed her some answers whether she wanted to give them or not.

Once the stew was eaten, Hazelle and Madge were offered a spare room to stay in. Hazelle refused, needing to get back to her younger kids. But Madge agreed even though she had zero plans of actually sleeping in it. She was not willing to leave Gale at this moment no matter now angry her father would be at her for not returning home.

Haymitch's eyebrows rose when she took Prim up on the offer and she tried not to think too much about it. For all his drunkenness, she got the feeling that he sometimes saw more than others. Perhaps it was all those years of dealing with the Capitol.

As everyone said goodbye to Hazelle, Madge slipped back into the quiet of the kitchen. There was no noise other than the sound of Gale's slow and steady breathing. A small frown rested between his eyebrows and as she sank down onto Hazelle's stool, she smoothed the line out, her fingers lingering on the warm skin. She brushed her hand down his cheek and let her thumb caress his slightly chapped lips.

"You're going to be fine, Gale, I'll make sure of it," she said, leaning forward so she could press a soft kiss against his mouth.

A startled exclamation from the doorway made her draw back quickly, a flush staining her cheeks at being caught kissing Gale, and by Katniss of all people. She'd rather have had Haymitch eyeing her with a jaded expression than Katniss' mix of surprise and hurt betrayal.

"You love him?" Katniss asked from the doorway.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure it's love, but I have strong feelings for him, yes."

"And what about him?"

Madge tore her eyes away from Katniss and back to Gale's peaceful face. Brushing a stray lock of hair back from his forehead, she gave a small smile. "I'm not sure even Gale understands his emotions at the moment."

Turning back to her friend, her eyes coolly studied Katniss as she watched the conflict play out on her face. "Something he probably has in common with you right now."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Katniss gave her a wry smile before she came into the kitchen and pulled a chair up to sit next to Madge. "It's funny – before the Games, it was something I never had to think about. All I knew was that I didn't want to get married and have children only to put them through the fear of the reaping. Now, it seems like romance dominates my life and I don't even want it to."

"I told him that," Madge said with a nod in Gale's direction.

"What?"

"He stormed out when Dad and I broke the news about us having to have a 'relationship'," she said and Katniss huffed out a laugh at that. "I followed him and we ended speaking about a lot of things, including him kissing you."

Katniss looked taken aback at that and Madge couldn't help but smile. "He was confused, I think, and very scared that he'd ruined something between the pair of you and was fretting that your passivity was an indication that it was Peeta you loved. I told him that it didn't have to be Peeta or him. I said that you might not be interested in anyone."

Silence fell between them for a while as they both just sat there and digested the trauma of the day. Eventually Katniss broke it and said, "I think he has feelings for you."

Madge turned her head from where she'd been tracing Gale's features with her eyes and raised an enquiring eyebrow at her friend.

"I met him the woods today; laid him a trail to an old cabin I used to go to with my dad and asked him to run with me."

That early conversation from the Meadow with Gale where had told her of his desire to run off into the wilderness with Katniss sprung immediately to her.

"What did he say?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"He agreed at first. Excited to finally be doing something. Gale's never been one to lie down and take what the Capitol throws at us. He always wants to be out fighting."

"I know," Madge murmured, unable to keep quiet and almost as if laying down that Katniss wasn't the only person to know things about Gale – to understand the fire that burned within him.

Katniss ignored her words and any implication behind then and said, "Then I spoke about bringing Haymitch and Peeta along with us."

"I bet he loved that," she couldn't help but inject.

Katniss snorted. "Yeah, but it also reminded him about you."

"I'm glad he _did_ remember me at some point," she said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

Her words were ignored as Katniss continued to speak, "Then he became angry with me. Accused me of not caring what happened to you and pointed out that your mom was too ill to leave and your dad is the mayor. He was right: I didn't spare you a thought. I didn't think about what would happen to you if we all disappeared."

Even though she knew it was stupid, Madge couldn't help but be stung by Katniss' words. She had thought they were friends despite the odd tension that had sprung up since Katniss had come back from her Victory Tour. They had certainly moved closer together since she'd returned from the Games, but she hadn't even figured in Katniss' plans.

"What makes you think the Gale cares about me from belatedly remembering I exist?" she asked resentfully.

Katniss gave her a measuring glance before she said, "Instead of mouthing off about me wanting to bring Peeta along, he chewed me out for not thinking of you; for putting in you harm's way and not even factoring it in."

Warmth dispersed outwards from Madge's chest, a spark of hope that maybe Gale could come to like her – maybe even love her – despite Katniss' presence in his life.

"I've been jealous," Katniss mumbled suddenly. "Since the victory dinner last night when you and Gale looked so comfortable together, his arm around your waist. You charmed the camera crew and instead of him scowling and getting irritated by it, he looked at you like you'd hung the moon."

"We've been practising if it makes you feel any better."

Katniss made an amused sound. "I know what that looks like. I see it all the time when I look in the mirror or watch re-runs of Peeta and me during interviews. No, this was different. Besides, this is _Gale_ – the one person who makes me look like an accomplished actress. And I didn't like it. Does that make me petty?"

"No, it makes you human."

A look of understanding passed between them and Katniss nodded and said, "I think you might be good for him. Perhaps the way Peeta is good for me. Gale and I… maybe we wouldn't be so good together."

Katniss stood then and gave Madge another nod before she trod silently out of the room without another word.

* * *

_It was strange,_ Katniss thought as she walked up to her bedroom, _how five minutes could turn your world upside but also bring clarity to your thoughts._

Watching Madge as she had sat there and lovingly traced out Gale's features, Katniss had realised that the other girl offered something to Gale that she herself wasn't sure she ever could: an open and generous love that she knew Gale had always wanted ever since seeing it between his parents.

There had been no confusion on Madge's face as she'd whispered fierce words of how she would support him. She had no guilty thoughts of another boy to weigh her decision down.

Before witnessing her friend's actions, Katniss had thought that today's events had highlighted how much _she_ and Gale should be together but now, after observing Madge, she had come to realise that maybe she wasn't the best option for Gale.

Maybe Gale already knew this.

There was certainly an intimacy in Madge's movements – one that spoke of a familiarity with touching him and Katniss had seen herself how well they'd moved together the evening before – her hand in his or his arm around her waist. It could be practice just as Madge said, but it spoke of something deeper.

Had they kissed?

It wouldn't surprise Katniss if they had. Gale had a reputation that had never bothered her before. But then again, she hadn't looked at Gale that way, or anyone else for that matter. But that had ended on the day of the pre-games interviews when Peeta had declared his crush on her to the whole of Panem. Since then Katniss felt that romance was never out of her life even if she didn't particularly want it there. All she wanted was to survive, for Prim to survive, and for the rest of her family and friends to survive. However, it seemed like everyone else had different ideas.

Sighing, Katniss changed into her pyjamas and climbed into her bed. She wasn't sure just how much sleep she was going to get. She hadn't planned on getting any but it would've been awkward to remain in the kitchen with Madge while she held Gale's hand and whispered words of encouragement in his ear.

Turning onto her side, she closed her eyes and was immediately assailed with images from earlier that day; of Gale slumped over the wooden post, blood dripping down his back and onto the snow around him; of the splatters of blood and small pieces of flesh that were flung out over a wider area every time Thread raised the whip to strike at him again.

Sitting up with yet another sigh, her fingers probed at her swollen skin which still stung from the one lash she'd taken. She couldn't imagine how much forty odd lashes would hurt. It was a good thing Madge had come with that morphling.

Looking out of her window, she saw that Peeta's light was still on. Desire to see him and to curl into his side the way she had during the nights of the Victory Tour washed through her. Her mother wouldn't approve if she stayed over there but Katniss found that she didn't care. She couldn't be downstairs with Gale and Madge and she couldn't be on her own. Peeta's company always had the knack of chasing her demons away even if just for a little while.

Flinging her covers aside, Katniss got back out of bed. Wrapping a fluffy robe around her, she slipped her feet into boots, padded back downstairs, and walked out the front door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Thank you for your patience during my hiatus and belated Eid Mubarak to anyone reading this who celebrates. **

**This chapter is extra fluffy to make up for my absence and a word of warning, Katniss continues to refuse to behave. Apparently she's very invested in talking about Gale and Madge.**

**Many many thanks to my friend Darla who gave me medical advice regarding how someone might recover from a whipping. I've sped up Gale's recovery time a little to further the plot (and fluff!) and thanks to swirlsofblack who continues to beta this superbly for me.**

* * *

A warm hand shook Madge's shoulder and she murmured, "Five more minutes, Martha, and then I'll come and help."

"Madge," a voice that definitely wasn't Martha's whispered, "Why don't you go upstairs to bed?"

Sitting up in a rush, Madge's head spun for a few moments before the black spots cleared and she saw Katniss leaning over her with Peeta staring curiously just behind her shoulder. There was a delicious smell of freshly baked bread in the kitchen and she gazed uncomprehendingly at the bread rolls that rested on one of the kitchen surfaces.

Then it all came flooding back and she whipped her head around quickly to see that Gale was still slumbering. The morphling must have started to wear off because he wasn't breathing as easily has he had throughout the night.

"Did he wake up at any point?" Katniss asked.

"Briefly," Madge said thickly before she cleared her throat.

Peeta moved across to the sink and took out a glass from the cabinet, filling it with water before walking back to where Madge slumped sleepily on the stool and giving it to her.

With a smile of thanks, she took a gulp, set the glass down on the floor by her feet and rubbed at her eyes. "He didn't say much but didn't seem in pain."

Katniss nodded and said, "That's good. Why don't you go up and sleep for a bit now. I'll come and wake you if he needs you."

Madge bit her lip for a moment. She didn't want to leave Gale but she also knew that she needed some rest. Nodding her agreement to Katniss, she stooped to pick the glass back up and stretched as she stood up for the first time in hours. Her back and knees hurt slightly from sitting on the stool all night but the discomfort was nothing, especially compared to Gale's.

As she made her way upstairs to the guest room that Prim had made up for her last night, she couldn't help the fond smile as she remembered Gale's sleepy surprise at her presence in the Everdeen kitchen. He had exclaimed, "Madge!" before giving her that slow smile of his that started off as nothing more than a curl of his lips and ended up in a grin.

She had leant forward then to give him a small kiss, her hand cupping his jaw as he drew her bottom lip in between his, sucking on it before slipping his tongue into her mouth. Drawing back, she'd said teasingly, "Only Gale Hawthorne could give a girl a proper kiss at a time like this."

"I wasn't sure if I would ever get to do that again a few hours ago," he'd said.

"You can do that as much as you want."

"Are you sure? I might take you up on that offer," he'd said jokingly before he yawned and blinked, trying to stay awake.

As his eyes fluttered shut, Madge had whispered, "I'm counting on it."

She frowned as she climbed into the freshly made spare bed and wondered just how much the morphling had impacted on his behaviour. When he woke up properly, not pumped full of a drug, would he still want to kiss and flirt with her and possibly make their fake relationship real? Or would his experiences in the town square have strengthened his feelings for Katniss?

Realising that there were no answers to those questions right now, Madge succumbed the stress of the past twenty-four hours and slept.

* * *

The excruciating pain infiltrated his dreams, turning them from pleasant experiences where he roamed the woods with no cares to weigh him down to nightmares where a dead turkey hung above his head and he could hear the soft exclamations of the crowd that watched as the unrelenting whip hit him time and time again as blood dripped down his back and onto the snow.

He awoke with a gasp, lifting his head and neck from where they lay uncomfortably on a hard wooden surface. The involuntary movement had a wave of unbearable pain rolling across his back and he sucked in a deep breath as the agony intensified. A soft hand brushed his hair soothingly.

"Try not to put pressure on your back, Gale."

Letting his head fall back down, he turned it to the other side and saw Katniss, a worried frown on her face, leaning over him. He was confused as to what she was doing there. She should have left by now, running as far as she could get into the wilderness.

"Catnip? You're still here?"

She gave him a sad smile at the nickname. "Yeah, I'm still here."

Another hand, larger this time, and more masculine, came into his view, a glass of water between strong fingers that tilted it next to his lips. "Here. Drink this."

Mellark.

Of course he was here, too. However, Gale was too thirsty to reject water just because he didn't like the person offering it, so he gulped it down and muttered a hasty, "Thanks."

It was then that Gale realised that he wasn't in his own small, cramped living quarters, but in the Everdeen's spacious kitchen.

"How long have I been out?" he asked.

"About sixteen hours," Katniss said.

He frowned then, wondering how it was possible that he had slept so long with the excruciating pain in his back.

"Morphling," Katniss said, answering his unspoken question. "Madge brought it yesterday evening."

"Madge? She was here? That wasn't a dream?"

"She's still here. Upstairs getting some sleep. She sat by your side all night."

Interspersed with his dreams of living in the woods had been Madge, her hands softly caressing his face, her lips brushing against his and her smile fond and tender. He had thought that his imagination had conjured her up. She had been the last thing he'd thought about before he'd blacked out in the square. He had been so sure that he was going to die tied that post and regret had washed through him. He had wished that he'd told her just how much she'd come to mean to him; how important she was; how she'd replaced Katniss in his heart.

That last thought put an end to his memories and he eyed Katniss with interest, realising that all the hopes and dreams he used to have about her had faded. She had been the dream of a boy who thought that she was what he should want and aspire to, and for over a year he'd wanted nothing more. Perhaps if she had never been reaped they might well have gone on to get married – although knowing Katniss, he wasn't so sure. However, too much had changed between them since that day. She was not the same girl who had met him in the woods with goat's cheese that long ago morning, but he, too, was not the same boy.

He lay quietly, trying to breathe through the pain and watched as Katniss and Mellark pottered around the kitchen quietly, their movements so in sync that it spoke of a real intimacy between them. A trust existed that could not easily be explained from the outside. Just a few days ago he would have been jealous of that but perhaps it took a public lashing for him to give up on the idea of Katniss.

There was a blast of icy air that whooshed over his back, relieving the intensity of the burning pain for one welcome moment before the backdoor closed with a quiet click. Lifting his head, he noticed Mellark had gone.

"He's gone to make sure Haymitch is eating," Katniss said as she sat down on the stool next to him, holding out a cheese-stuffed roll. "Are you hungry? I can feed you."

Gale nodded and in companionable silence, they shared a meal of freshly baked rolls, cheese and dried apple slices. Well, Katniss did most of the eating. Gale found it difficult to eat more than a few mouthfuls lying as he was on his stomach. But it was the lack of tension between them that Gale enjoyed the most – it even made the pain in his back more bearable. He'd missed this – just being able to sit in silence with his best friend without any awkward undertones or bitter feelings between them.

"I thought you were going to run," he said once she'd rinsed the empty plate and sat back down.

"So did I, but there was no way I was going after what happened to you. So I decided to stay here and cause all kinds of trouble with you."

He smiled at that. "And Mellark agrees?"

"He knows that I couldn't leave in these circumstances. Besides, I'm not sure he was ever too keen on the idea."

Gale smirked at that. He'd seen them in the forest of the Games arena and he'd been terrible – completely incapable of keeping his footsteps anywhere near to quiet. Hunting would be impossible with Mellark around.

Katniss nudged his elbow. "Stop it," she said.

"What?" he protested.

"Being so smug because Peeta is terrible in the woods."

"So you admit it now, do you?"

"Hush!" she said. "Not everyone has had to spend the time out there that we have."

Just a week ago, that comment would have caused him to make some cutting remark about how easy people in Town had it, but he didn't feel the need to hammer home that point anymore. No one knew better than Katniss the differences between the Seam and Town.

"Madge came out with me once and she was miles better than Mellark!"

Interest gleamed in her eyes and she tilted her head a little as she said nonchalantly, "So, Madge?"

"What about her?"

"You know she's in love with you, right?"

His eyes skittered away from hers. He wasn't sure he wanted to have this conversation. Certainly not with Katniss, who usually disliked to talk about anything as inconvenient as romantic feelings.

"Says who?" he asked, hoping to stall her.

She rolled her eyes. "It didn't take a genius to work it out last night when she ran through a snowstorm to get here with vials of morphling for you. Then there was the way she sat here by your side all through the night, holding your hand and comforting you. She was devastated when she saw what Thread had done to you."

Gale kept quiet, unsure of just what to say. Everything with Madge was so new and it felt so fragile, almost as if just discussing it would somehow destroy it all.

Katniss touched his wrist. "Don't hurt her, Gale."

Scowling, he glared at his friend and said angrily, "Who said I'm going to hurt her?"

"No one, but she cares for you and that gives you the power to hurt her. Don't lead her on if she doesn't mean anything to you."

Irritation flared up and he wished more than ever that he could actually move, to sit up and glare at Katniss for thinking that he was that kind of person. Instead, he was reduced to snapping back, "Well, maybe I care for her, too!"

It didn't have the desired effect of making Katniss look abashed for doubting him. A smile grew on her face and she patted his cheek softly. "She's good for you, Gale. Keep that in mind before you run off to do something stupid that could get you killed."

Not appeased in any way by her words, his sharp retort was swallowed back as Mrs Everdeen bustled through the door, green herbs clutched in her hand. "Can you get some snow for me, Katniss, please? Gale's back should have set now and I want to put a snow coat on it."

His eyes followed his friend as she disappeared into the snowstorm that raged outside before he turned his attention to Mrs Everdeen who was asking him questions and reminding him just how much his back ached and burned.

* * *

Madge didn't know what time it was when she woke up. The sky outside was that strange white-grey colour that denotes snow and made telling what time it was impossible. Watching the blizzard as it swirled around the window, snowflakes falling thick and furious, she wondered just how she was going to get home. As much as she wanted to stay here by Gale's side, she didn't think her father would countenance her being away another night. He probably wasn't happy about last night either, but she trusted that her mom had dealt with that.

Climbing out of bed, she pulled her thick cardigan back on, wrapping it tightly around her as she shivered in the cold air. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair as she trod lightly downstairs. She grimaced as she thought of how messy it probably looked, but checking on Gale was more important than finding Katniss and asking her for a hairbrush.

As it happened, everyone was in the kitchen. Katniss was drinking a cup of tea and leaning against the sink as she watched Prim and Mrs Everdeen bustle around Gale, smearing something with a green tinge on his back. He was awake but looked subdued, staring somewhere on the ground and tensing up every now and again. She could see the moment that whatever Mrs Everdeen was putting on his back worked because he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Doesn't he need more morphling?" Madge asked from where she stood in the doorway. It wasn't that she wanted to question Mrs Everdeen's methods but she felt the need to ask, not wanting Gale to be in more discomfort than necessary.

Three pairs of eyes turned to hers, but Mrs Everdeen continued to focus on the job at hand. "I could give him more but I only really want to use it if necessary," she said before she put the ladle she'd been using to put the clean, sweet-smelling mixture onto Gale's back and wiping her hands on her apron. She looked up at Madge and said, "There are dangers of using too much morphling."

Although she knew it wasn't a rebuke directed towards her, Madge still couldn't help but flush. Mrs Everdeen didn't need to explain what those dangers were as she was intimately acquainted with them thanks to her mom. "Of course," Madge muttered. "What is that you're putting on?"

"A snow coat. It should soothe and cool the wounds."

By the look on Gale's face, it was doing that. There was sheer relief on his face and she wondered just when the morphling had worn off.

Feeling shy in front of everyone, Madge hung back and gave Gale a small smile, unsure of what to do next.

With a gesture towards the stool that remained by his side, Katniss said, "Why don't you sit down next to Gale and I'll make you something to eat. You must be hungry."

Her stomach gave a gurgle at that thought and she realised that she hadn't eaten since lunchtime yesterday. She'd toyed with the stew and bread Prim had forced on everyone yesterday evening, too anxious to do more than shift the meat and vegetables about.

Sitting down, Madge placed her hands a little nervously on the table. Would Gale remember their conversation in the middle of the night? How he'd kissed her and flirted back? Or would his mind, clear from the morphling, want no one but Katniss? She wasn't sure she could take pretending to be in a relationship with him having known what it was like to kiss him and think that they were something more.

As she was lost in her maze of conflicting thoughts, his left hand shot out and covered hers. His fingers curled around both her hands, squeezing them reassuringly. She raised her eyes and was shocked by the tender expression on his face.

"Hey," he said, his voice deep and gravelly from lack of use.

"Hey to you, too," she replied.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

He rolled his eyes affectionately. "Oh, I don't know, for coming out in a snowstorm and bringing me medicine that probably saved my life," he said before lowering his voice so only she could hear. "For sitting by my side all night."

She wormed one of her hands out from under his and cupped his cheek as she half rose from the stool to lean over and press a kiss to his cheek. A tear leaked from her eye and splashed down onto his skin and she huffed out a shaky laugh as she brushed it away and wiped the others from under her eyes. "You scared the life out of me, Gale Hawthorne. Thom came and told me what happened and for a horrible moment I thought you were dead."

"He has his uses, then," Gale said.

"He and half your crew carried you up here," Katniss said, dropping a hand onto Madge's shoulder and pushing her back down onto the stool as she handed over a plate of cheese, bread and dried fruit.

"I hope they didn't get in trouble," Gale said with a frown.

He and Katniss shared a glance. "Haymitch paid them off. At least if they are stopped by Peacekeepers it will look as if they did it for the money."

"The snow should help. The district will be in lockdown," he said.

"It means Hazelle won't be able to come up," Mrs Everdeen said, holding out a herbal brew of some kind for Gale to drink. His nose wrinkled up as he took a sip. From the smell alone, Madge could tell it was bitter.

"It'll help with the pain," Mrs Everdeen said before she turned to Madge. "Does Mayor Undersee know where you are?"

"He wasn't home when I left but my mom will have told him."

"Give him a call when you finish that. You won't be going home in this weather today."

Quickly finishing up her food, Madge followed Katniss into the study where the telephone was situated on the large desk that no one used by the looks of how clear it was. There was a telephone in the left hand corner with a pad of paper and pen next to it and that was it. Madge contrasted it to her dad's own overflowing desk of files and stray pieces of paper. She couldn't help but wish his was as clean as this one was. Then he might get to spend more time at home.

She nodded her thanks to her friend as Katniss left, closing the door behind her.

Dialling the number, Madge tapped her fingers on the desk impatiently. Finally, Martha picked up the phone and when she heard Madge's voice replying, she gave an irritated huff.

"It's about time you checked in."

Not rising to Martha's annoyed tone, Madge said calmly, "Is Dad there?"

"Where else is he going to be in this storm? _He_ doesn't stay out all night."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Would you mind telling him I'm on the phone, please."

Martha tutted before Madge heard the clatter of the telephone receiver being put down and footsteps getting fainter. It was a couple of minutes before she heard anything and then it was the heavy tread of her father. She'd recognise his footsteps anywhere. He was the antithesis of Gale and her mother would always joke that he sounded like a herd of elephants coming down the stairs.

"Madge?" her father said and despite his pleasant tone she could hear the irritation in his voice.

"Hi Dad, I'm so sorry – I got snowed in at the Everdeens."

"Your mom told me," he said. "I got home last night and she said you'd gone up earlier in the day to help Prim with her homework."

For anyone listening, it sounded like a normal conversation; a daughter just checking in with her parents after a blizzard hit. But Madge could hear the anger in her dad's voice. She knew he didn't want her caught up in this. Despite the fake relationship with Gale, he would have expected her to stay away from this particular situation. The mayor's daughter couldn't be seen providing medicine and succour to a poacher who'd been caught and flogged, no matter if President Snow thought they were dating or not. She knew she was in for a stern conversation when she returned home, but it wasn't safe to have one over the telephone.

"Yeah, she had an essay for History she needed help with and we completely forgot the time."

"Well, stay there until the storm has stopped, okay? Then you come straight home."

"Yes, Dad," she said.

She put the phone down and sat for a minute, her head in her heads. It would be ironic if her dad put his foot down now and demanded that she 'break-up' with Gale just as they could potentially date for real.

Katniss poked her head around the door and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I need to go straight home when I can, though."

"Perhaps it's a good thing there's a blizzard happening right now."

Madge was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Giving her a cheeky smile, Katniss said, "It gives you and Gale some time together. Otherwise, I'm sure the mayor would've been here by now to drag you home."

Enjoying the mischievous grin on her usually solemn friend's face, Madge laughed and said, "That's one way of looking at it."

"And the benefits of having this stupid large house is there are lots of rooms for the pair of you to disappear into."

"Katniss!" Madge exclaimed, scandalised. Colour flooded into her cheeks.

"What? Are you going to tell me you don't want to make the most of your time together?"

"What's brought this on? Only last night you were questioning me over the morphling and acting pretty hostile about it," she said.

Katniss had never been the easiest person to read. She didn't show her emotions and she also didn't like to speak of them. However, since last night she'd been the most talkative that Madge had never known, openly discussing Gale and Madge's feelings and it was confusing. How did she go from muted hostility to encouraging them to disappear into empty rooms?

"I've never seen Gale the way he is with you," Katniss said. "He's always been so angry and bitter at everything, but with you, he softens." Madge opened her mouth to interrupt but Katniss put a finger up to silence her. "I don't care how much you say you've practised or spent time together or any of that. He's tender towards you in a way that he has never been with anyone besides Posy. I saw it at the Victory Tour dinner when you spoke with the camera crew, so at ease in presenting everything in a Capitol-friendly way. I expected irritation from him – goodness knows he showed enough of that in his interviews during the Games –"

"You saw those," Madge interrupted.

"I did when I returned home," Katniss answered before continuing, "But there was none of that. There was pride there and affection. It threw me and I didn't like it. I came home prepared for the pair of you to hate me for saying what I did, not this fondness. And then you arrived last night, caked in snow and so anxious you looked like you were going to throw up any minute and it was obvious that there was something more than playacting between you."

"And you're okay with it?"

Katniss stared out of the window for a moment before she turned back to Madge. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

"What about you and Peeta? Has realising that your feelings for Gale are nothing more than friendly helped clear your mind there?" Madge asked, curious.

But the shutters were back up and Katniss just shrugged non-committedly. Any soul-sharing Katniss wanted to do was obviously restricted to her situation with Gale and not the thorny issue of just what Peeta meant to her.

* * *

It was the evening of the next day before Mrs Everdeen released Gale from the kitchen table. Inactivity didn't suit him and even with Madge to hold his hand and Katniss and Prim to entertain him, he didn't enjoy being forced to lay there for hours.

Spasms of pain radiated down his back as he slowly sat up with Mellark's help, which he had accepted grudgingly. He grimaced as he rose, his muscles aching with an intensity that made him want to do nothing but lie back on his stomach. But he knew that it was impossible; he was going to have to push himself through the pain. He would be needed back in the mines soon. His family couldn't afford for him to be off for a prolonged period of time.

His back felt as if there were hundreds of needles stabbing into him, but Gale knew he was going to experience that for a while yet. Mrs Everdeen had not sugar coated the recovery process from a whipping when she'd explained it to him earlier in the day. The ensuing worry over how long he was going to be off work had kept him preoccupied for most of the afternoon and left him with a determination to push through the pain as much as he could.

Looking away from the overly anxious expressions on both Madge and Katniss' faces, Gale focused on Prim who nodded encouragingly at him.

Readying himself for the next wave of pain, Gale set his face and pushed downwards, slowly straightening his knees and rising into a standing position. The days of inactivity had made his limbs stiff and unresponsive, and this, along with the agony in his back, caused him to stumble a little and put his hand out on the table to steady himself.

In an instant, Madge was at his side. "Perhaps you should just sit for a bit," she said.

He could hear the worry in her voice and before he could control his reaction, he snapped irritably, "I'm not an invalid, Madge!"

"I know you're not," Madge shot back. "But you need to take it easy. There's no need to push yourself too hard."

"I need to get back on my feet."

"But not to the detriment of your health," she said insistently.

He shook his head and ignored her words, lifting his hand back off the table and standing independently once again. There was no wobble this time and he shot Madge a triumphant look that was ruined by the grunt of pain he let out as he stepped forward.

"At least put your hand on my shoulder for support," Madge said.

Her lip jutted out stubbornly and Gale sighed before relenting. She did have a point: he could use a little help until he was steadier on his feet. He placed his hand lightly on her shoulder as he walked forward, biting the inside of his cheek to try and take away from some of the pain in his back.

By the time dinner was ready, twenty minutes later, Gale was slowly walking unaided. It was a lot more gingerly than his usual stride but it felt good to be back on his feet.

"Guess I'll be back in the mines in no time," he said as they made their way through to the dining room.

He didn't miss the worried glance that Katniss gave him. He hadn't forgotten their conversation in the woods, either. The cold reality of being whipped for that turkey had put the brakes on some of Gale's plans to ferment a rebellion in the district. With Cray gone and Thread in charge, anyone caught doing something rebellious would be punished severely. There could well be executions in the square and the thought made his blood run cold. As much as he wanted to topple the Capitol, he couldn't leave his mother alone, struggling to feed the younger kids. Rory was too young to head the family as he had done and didn't have his aptitude for hunting in the woods either. But Katniss' words about an uprising in District 8 continued to run through his mind. It was now or never and he wasn't sure he could live with himself if he sat back and did nothing.

Dinner was quiet – much quieter than any that had taken place in the Hawthorne home. Katniss wasn't naturally chatty and neither was Mrs Everdeen, although she was a lot more social than Katniss. Prim and Madge talked a little about school in between the moments when Madge wasn't hovering over him and making sure he was alright. It could have been annoying but surprisingly it wasn't, and Gale found himself liking the extra attention from her. She wasn't overbearing – just thoughtful – making sure he had enough food on his plate and that he didn't need to lean over to get something which would hurt his back.

After she had passed him more bread, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek and said, "Thanks."

Colour flooded into her cheeks at the unusual display of public affection and she lifted her eyes a little shyly to his. He got caught in her gaze, his fingers rising to brush her cheek as he started to lean down again before there was a pointed cough.

Gale jerked his head back, rubbing his neck in embarrassment as he realised he had nearly kissed Madge in the middle of dinner. He looked up into the stern face of Mrs Everdeen. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Prim snickering into her hand.

"That reminds me of a talk we should probably have while you are both staying here," Mrs Everdeen said. "You are both to behave respectfully under my roof. There will be no sharing of beds or anything else that your parents would disapprove of. Understood?"

Mrs Everdeen's words were addressed mainly to him, Gale knew, but it was Madge who spoke. "I wouldn't dream of disrespecting you or your home, Mrs Everdeen," she said, stuttering a little in her embarrassment.

Face softening, Mrs Everdeen smiled at her. "That's good to hear, my dear."

Her gaze switched to him and became sterner and Gale said, "Me neither, Mrs Everdeen."

"Good!"

With that dinner continued. Gale and Madge barely looked at each other for the rest of meal.

* * *

Later that night, Madge lay unable to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms. Staring out at the snow that continued to fall furiously, she thought about how insane the past few days had been.

She'd had little time to breathe, let alone to think, but now, as she lay sleeplessly in the large bed, she had time to put her confused thoughts into some kind of order. Somehow, over the past twenty-four hours, she and Gale had gone from dancing nervously around each other into some kind of unspoken relationship made all the more bizarre by Katniss' open and very loquacious blessing.

After the almost kiss in the middle of dinner, Madge had stayed as far as she could from Gale, uncertain of just how to act and afraid of embarrassing herself once more in front of the Everdeens. So, she'd stayed by Mrs Everdeen's side, helping her with the dishes and volunteering to roll the spun wool into balls of yarn for her.

She'd managed to pass a whole evening that way until it was time for bed. But the downtime hadn't helped her process her own puzzled thoughts. Mainly, was she in an actual relationship with Gale now or were they going to continue to reside in a strange sort of limbo – not quite pretend but not quite real?

There was a soft knock on her door and Madge frowned before she flung the covers back and padded over to open it.

She peeked her head out through the small opening to see who it was before her hand flashed out and grabbed Gale's arm, dragging him quickly into the room.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed at him. "Mrs Everdeen will have our guts for garters if she finds you here!"

With a roll of his eyes, Gale said, "Relax! Mrs E went to bed ages ago and if she didn't hear Katniss sneaking out then I think we're okay."

"Wait? Katniss isn't here?"

"Nope. Run off to Mellark's house probably. Or maybe Abernathy's," he said with a grimace. "Even I prefer Mellark to Abernathy. Didn't you hear her go?"

"No."

"But she would've passed right by your door."

"Not all of us have hunter's ears," she said defensively.

Gale gave a little smirk at that before he said, "Anyway, she told me what room you were in."

"She told you to break her mother's house rules?"

"She pointed out that this is technically her house and what her mother doesn't know won't hurt her. I didn't dwell for too long on that last part."

Madge laughed at his words. She had never seen Gale being able to talk about Katniss without a small crease of anger and pain furrowing the skin between his eyebrows. The way that he so casually spoke about Katniss going to Peeta's house in the middle of the night made her brave.

"What happened to your anger at Katniss over Peeta?"

He looked a little taken aback at her bold question but then admiration gleamed in his eyes. "Maybe being lashed put some perspective on what I really want."

"And what is it you want?"

He stepped closer to her then and Madge was aware that she all she was wearing was a pair of fleece pyjamas. Only her parents and Martha had seen her in pyjamas before and she felt a little off balance.

Capturing one of her nervous hands, he pulled her even closer to him before he said, "You."

The temptation to just lean up and kiss him was strong, but the confusion that had dogged Madge for a couple of days and which had stopped her from getting to sleep this night made her continue to talk instead.

"What brought that on? We've become closer –" He interrupted her with a snort of amusement and her lips twitched, wanting to return his smile. But she refused to be diverted and continued to say, "But I thought Katniss was what you wanted?"

Gale shrugged his shoulders and then winced a little the movement. He looked over her shoulder, his face thoughtful for a few seconds before he turned his eyes back to hers. "I thought so, too. If she hadn't been reaped maybe we would have ended up together, but she was, and thinking in what-ifs will never change that. And that's even without taking Mellark into consideration."

"And where do I come in?" Madge asked, ignoring the pang of disappointment at his answer. She had hoped that it would've been about her rather than a practical reply as to why he and Katniss would not work now.

He towed her over to the bed and sat down, patting the space next to him. "I didn't plan on you. I planned to fight Mellark for Katniss all the way. I was convinced that I was better for her than he was. But then President Snow made his threats and Katniss pretended we were dating and all of sudden you were in my life – all the time. It annoyed me at first –"

Madge gave a huff of irritated laughter then and said sarcastically, "Really? I hadn't noticed!"

Gale glared at her but continued on, "But then I saw you without all the resentment and I started to notice things. You're smart – and not just book smart – you know how things work in the Capitol as well as the District. Then there's the way you would sit with my family every night and join in, the way you would help Ma without her asking, your patience as Rory and Vick teased you or when Posy nagged you to play dolls with her. It opened my eyes."

She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face, or the way that her hand squeezed his tightly. He bent his head down to her ear and whispered, "And that's without how pretty you are; how your eyes sparkle when you argue with me, or the way your cheeks go pink when I hold your hand; how soft your lips are when they press against mine."

Madge was sure her cheeks weren't pink but a flaming red colour by the time she brushed her mouth against his, cutting off his delicious words with the very real need to show him just how much they had meant to her.

Twisting so she faced him, she curled her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, giving a small moan as his tongue traced the seam of her lips before sliding against hers. His warm hands landed on her hips and he grasped her firmly before pulling her onto his lap.

The drugging kisses went on until Madge felt dizzy and pulled back, panting for breath. He loosened his grip and leant his forehead against hers. His eyes were blown, the grey just a small ring around enlarged pupils and there was a flush on his cheeks.

"This is so much more than anything I ever felt for Katniss," he said huskily. "I want this to be real. I don't want to pretend anymore."

"Me neither," she whispered back.

He gave her that slow grin that made her knees melt before brushing her lips softly with his before he gently pushed her off his lap and back on the bed next to him. With a regretful look, he said, "I better go now. I think there's a very real possibility that Mrs E will kick me out in the storm if she was to find me in your bedroom tomorrow morning."

She pouted a little at that but nodded, scrambling off the bed and offering him her hands to help pull him up. He grimaced a little as he stood but he pulled her in tight for a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he disappeared out of the door with all his usual stealth.

Madge was left pressing her hands against her reddened cheeks and with a massive grin on her face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** **Sorry for the delay in this chapter. It's the school holidays and so my free time is even less than usual with both my boys at home and any free time I've had has been used to write my submission for the Jon x Sansa Remix.**

**My thanks as always to swirlsofblack for betaing this chapter.**

* * *

It took another two days for the storm to blow itself out, but Madge couldn't bring herself to care that she had been trapped indoors for three days. Not when she was living in this delicious bubble with Gale where there were no external factors getting in the way and reminding them of just how tough their lives truly were. The only problem they encountered was Ivy Everdeen who was happy for them to sit next to each other holding hands as long as it was under her eye. But as soon as they disappeared for longer than twenty minutes, she'd track them down.

It didn't bother Madge too much, and not only because Gale would sneak into her room every night for a couple of hours, but because she also enjoyed just talking to him without being bothered by any of the regular troubles that usually hung over them.

However, as with all good things in District 12, their time together was fleeting. It came to an end with the bang of the back door and the heavy stomp of Haymitch Abernathy, who stopped on the threshold, his eyebrows raised as he watched Gale show Madge how to cook a lentil stew.

Madge highly doubted it was the actual cooking part that surprised Haymitch. He knew enough about how the Mayor's house worked to not find it unusual that she wouldn't know how to make a dish. The Mayor employed a cook for that. No, it was the probably the fact that Gale was pressed up close behind Madge, his arms encircling her waist as his hands stirred the onions and garlic. His head was angled close to hers as he whispered instructions in her ear and her eyes oscillated between his hands and his face, where she couldn't help pressing a kiss every few seconds.

"If one of you is able to disentangle yourself long enough, I'd appreciate it if someone fetched Katniss," Haymitch said dryly.

Colour flooding into her cheeks, Madge slipped out from under one of Gale's arms and smoothed down her borrowed dress from Mrs Everdeen. It was slightly too tight across the bust and a little too short thanks to her curvier figure. It hadn't mattered when it was just her, the Everdeens and Gale in the house. In fact, she'd enjoyed the way Gale's eyes had darkened as she'd walked into the kitchen this morning, his gaze lingering in all the right places. But now, in the face of Haymitch's amused expression, it felt too much.

"I can go," she said quietly, embarrassment obvious in her tone.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'll stay here and keep Loverboy company."

Madge didn't need to look at Gale to know that he had a massive scowl on his face. Haymitch was an unwelcome reminder of reality and she couldn't help but feel disappointed that it had caught up with them both already.

Twenty minutes later, Madge was bundled back up in her clothes and on her way from the Victor's Village with Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. Gale hadn't been too happy at being left behind, but Mrs Everdeen had vetoed any strenuous activity for him at least for another couple of days.

As they entered the square, Madge struggled to recognise the place for a moment. Gone was the slightly sleepy air that it had always housed, replaced with something far more militaristic. A huge banner with the Panem seal now flew from the roof of the Justice Building, looming over the swept cobbled floor of the square where Peacekeepers in pristine white uniforms marched in sync. Along the rooftops of the houses and shops that lined the square were machine gun nests, almost daring anyone in District 12 to step one foot out of line. Her stomach knotted as she noticed the official constructions that now took up one side of the square: an official whipping post, several stockades and a gallows.

Wide-eyed, Madge continued to stare around at the scene. No one stood talking any more – people just scurried through the square as if to stop would somehow land them in the stocks.

In three days, District 12 had gone from an almost forgotten district to something far more sinister.

"Thread's a quick worker," Haymitch remarked.

While Haymitch and Peeta were distracted looking around at the changes, Madge took the opportunity to speak to Katniss about something that had been bothering her for the past few days, since she'd seen Katniss' concerned look when Hazelle had spoken about Gale bouncing back stronger.

She stood close to her friend and asked in a low voice, "What are you so worried about regarding Gale?"

"I don't know what you mean," Katniss replied, looking everywhere but at Madge.

"Yes, you do and don't lie to me. You're worried about something he potentially could do and I want to know."

Sighing deeply, Katniss glanced at her before staring at the whipping post and whispering, "There are uprisings in other districts and I might have let it slip to Gale."

Madge closed her eyes briefly at that. There had to have been something more happening for President Snow to involve himself so intimately in Katniss and Peeta's lives and for him to be so invested in how they portrayed their 'romance'. If he hadn't needed Katniss onside he wouldn't have made a threat against Gale – he'd have outright killed him as the warning.

Then there was Gale. He wouldn't hesitate to join a rebellion. He had fire in his belly and he wouldn't think twice about hitting back at the people who put it there. Katniss' anxious facial expressions made sense now.

"And you're concerned he'll try to ferment something here?" Madge asked.

"You know Gale. He's been waiting for this moment his whole life – a chance to change things and get rid of the Capitol."

"Yeah, I do. But this isn't the right district to do that. We're too small, too easily crushed."

"It could be possible – right? If the miners got organised?"

"Look around you, Katniss. For an uprising to work here, everyone would have to get involved. Can you see that happening?" Madge whispered, gesturing to the people scurrying quickly through the square. "People are scared. If Gale tries to rile up the miners, he'll end up swinging from the gallows over there. And neither of us want that."

Katniss looked conflicted for a moment but before she could reply, there was a whooshing sound and flames flared up a couple of streets behind the square in the direction of the Seam. It could only be the Hob. Madge had never been in there – it didn't have the most savoury reputation and she would have been scared to step foot in there. It didn't mean that she hadn't heard a lot about it – little anecdotes from both Gale and Katniss about people who Madge had never heard of.

There was a worried look on Katniss' face as they all looked at the blaze and anxiety crawled over Madge's skin, making her jittery. She needed to check on her dad. All these changes and she hadn't heard from him since that one phone call a couple of mornings ago. Not that he could mention any of this over a bugged phone line, but that didn't calm her nerves at all.

"I better get home," she muttered to the group with a vague wave in their direction before she turned and hurried across the square to the section that housed Panem officials.

Her fears didn't let up in the few minutes it took her to reach her home and she burst through the front door, calling out for her parents.

She heard the floorboards creak above her head and raced upstairs. Before she could knock on the door, her father was out the door of his study. He grabbed her arm and said, "In here."

He towed her to one of the spare bedrooms that were located on this floor and shut the door behind them.

"What's going on, Dad? I just came through the square."

"Romulus Thread came with strict orders from the Capitol. District 12 has been getting it too easy and it's time to make sure nothing flares up in the Mockingjay's home district."

"But nothing is happening here."

"Yet. Nothing is happening here _yet_. Gale was just the beginning. It was lucky he was caught before Thread had been here too long. If it had happened a day later, he might well have found himself strung up. What better example to the districts than hanging Katniss Everdeen's cousin?"

Madge paled as the full force of his words hit home. She didn't want to think that Gale had been lucky – not after looking on his back on that first night – but he had been. It could have been so much worse. Things could still become so much worse.

"The Hob is on fire," she said.

Symeon nodded and rubbed at his temples tiredly. "They are going to try and eradicate the black market. I have orders to keep the fence on all the time, too. There are to be no more little trips into the woods by Katniss and Gale."

She nodded, her heart sinking at the thought of what it would mean to Gale to be trapped inside District 12 at all times. It wasn't just that his family relied on the game he hunted – although that would be a huge blow to the Hawthorne family – it was how the forest soothed his soul and gave him a purpose.

"And Madge, you need to keep a distance between yourself and Gale."

Her head reeled at that. She had known that her father wasn't pleased that she'd run up to the Everdeens after Gale had been lashed, but she hadn't expected this.

"But the President, he thinks –"

"President Snow has bigger concerns than the supposed relationship between two teenagers in District 12 – no matter what it potentially means for Katniss and Peeta. The Victory Tour wasn't the success he hoped it would be and while the Capitol laps up the romance between Katniss and Peeta, the districts aren't distracted by it. Thread has been sent here for a reason, Madge. He's no Cray, happy to benefit from the black market or to turn a blind eye. He's out for blood, and Gale brought himself to Thread's attention in the worst possible way. He's keeping an eye on the Hawthornes and everyone they associate with. People know when to keep their distance from a family and when to be seen with them is detrimental to their safety, and that is the position the Hawthornes now find themselves in."

Her stomach sank at the Mayor's words. Everything Hazelle had built up since the death of Celyn – her washing business and Gale's trades – relied on the community, and if that community was now turning its back on them, there would be no money or food.

There was no way Madge was going to do this, too.

"No, Dad! I won't cut off ties with Gale now! He and Hazelle are going to need all the friends they can get."

"Madge, you are the Mayor's daughter. How would it look if you're seen every day with someone punished for poaching? I've already had Thread come here and question me about your relationship with Gale and asking about your whereabouts. I went along when you decided to support Katniss' crazy plan but this is larger than Gale Hawthorne now, and by associating with him, you bring us under scrutiny. My loyalty to Panem will be questioned and that brings this whole family into danger."

Tears sprung to her eyes and she stared beseechingly at her dad, almost as if he could read her mind and see just how important Gale and the Hawthornes had become to her.

"Sweetheart, I know you've come to be friends with Gale, admire him even, but I am the Mayor and I won't risk you or your mother for that boy."

"You don't understand. I _like_ him, Dad. We like each other."

This stopped Symeon and he looked down at the carpet for a moment, a frown resting in-between his eyebrows. "I should have seen this coming," he muttered to himself but loud enough for her to hear.

Madge kept quiet as he rubbed his temples and then moved to the window, staring out at the snow for a long while before he finally turned back to her. "I should never have allowed you to get involved in this insane scheme, but I did and then I pushed you to make it as realistic as possible. I thought that was for the best, especially with President Snow involved. I couldn't have known the uprisings would continue –"

"Uprisings?" she interrupted, pretending that she didn't already know about them.

"Rebellions are breaking out. The Capitol is responding heavily but the spark has been lit inadvertently by Katniss. It's why we have Thread here now. If a rebellion was to break out here it could cause a firestorm that would sweep through Panem. That broach you gave her and then her actions in the arena and on the Victory Tour… it's given the districts hope. If I'm seen to be supporting your relationship with a boy who everyone knows breaks the law and is connected so intimately with Katniss, it brings suspicion down on us."

Madge slumped down onto the bed behind her. Her father kept her informed to a certain extent. He knew the importance of her having some knowledge, but never in this detail. Never things that were classified.

She watched as her father pushed his hands into his pockets and squared his shoulders. It was his 'I have made a decision' stance. "I won't stop you from seeing Gale, Madge. Happiness is fleeting enough in this place, but I ask that you exercise caution. I'm going to have to play the disapproving father and you're going to have to be creative in how you get to see him."

A wavering smile broke out on her face and she said, "Thank you, Daddy."

"I know I don't have to tell you to keep this conversation between us, but you are to tell no-one, sweetheart, not even Gale. Especially not Gale. I like the boy but he has a rebellious nature. He'd hear about uprisings elsewhere and look to ferment one here. I can't have that, Madge. It would end well for no one."

If she could have, she would have smiled at her father, who was unconsciously echoing her own words to Katniss, but there was nothing to smile about in this situation. "I won't, Dad. I promise."

He gave her a weary smile then. "Go up to your mother. She's been worried about you."

* * *

Gale hadn't felt trapped until Madge and Katniss went out. Without the distraction of Madge, everything came pouring back: the anger and frustration he felt in his life along with the deep-seated desire to risk it all and just run into the wilderness and never look back.

Dreaming up increasingly elaborate plans for rebellion, he spent the afternoon pacing like the caged animal he felt like. Not even Prim was able to distract him as she so often could.

Being around Madge, he'd been able to focus on something else – something a lot nicer and sweeter – but with her gone, he was reminded of how he felt when trussed up like a chicken in the square, his shirt ripped off his back and the whip lashing down non-stop.

Thread was everything he had come to hate; the manifestation of Capitol power that kept the districts in check through brutality and cruel measures. It wasn't enough that the districts had to watch their children line up, waiting to see if they'd be picked and sent off to die. No, the desperation had to be pervasive – spreading through every aspect of their lives.

There was a compulsive need inside Gale to hit back; to rebel in any way he could. Going out to the woods had not only put much needed food on his family's table, it had also helped him feel like he was rebelling. However, with Katniss' news about uprisings in the other districts, it felt small and insignificant. There were people out there openly defying the Capitol, putting their lives on the line, trying to overthrow President Snow and everything he represented. The more districts that rose, the more successful the rebellion would be. District 12 needed to join in.

However, by the time Katniss finally returned, her face said it all. The hope he'd clung to of instigating some sort of change faded with her grim expression. Her eyes sought his immediately and he swallowed the questions that crowded his tongue as she gave an infinitesimal shake of her head. Something had happened out there and his anxious thoughts flew to his family and Madge.

Gale endured a painstakingly slow evening meal, his leg jiggling impatiently as he just about made it without hauling Katniss somewhere private to question her. Finally, Mrs Everdeen was clearing up and Katniss waved Prim away to help her.

"What is it?" he asked as soon as they were ensconced in the guest bedroom that was doubling as his for the duration of his stay.

"It's not good, Gale."

"My family? They're okay?"

"Don't worry, it's not that. Although Posy does have measles."

"Measles?" he asked worriedly, his heart thumping at the thought of his little sister being ill.

"Don't worry. It's not too bad. Nothing that I needed to call my mother for. I gave Hazelle some money," she said and before he could open his mouth and object, she continued, "And don't give me any grief about doing so. The washing business has dried up and she needs to put food on the table _especially_ for Posy."

He swallowed his objection and nodded at Katniss. She wouldn't need any words of thanks because she'd know just how much it grated on him that he needed to rely on someone else to help his family out.

_I should be there_, he thought angrily. _Not cooped up inside here with my back aching from the whip scars._

"Ma doesn't have any business coming in?" he asked, trying to focus on something else.

Katniss shook her head. "No one wants to send her anything at the moment."

Gale didn't need her to say anymore. He knew how the Seam worked; how it withdrew into itself when faced with a threat. Now, thanks to him, his family was a threat due to the scrutiny they were no doubt facing from the Peacekeepers. He couldn't even find it in himself to feel bitter about it. He'd done the same when other families had fallen foul of the Capitol's laws.

"What's going on out there, Catnip?" he asked, needing the security of the old nickname to help him face whatever bad news she was about to drop on him.

Looking at him with sad eyes, Katniss said, "It's not just the Seam, it's the whole district. Thread's made changes. Big changes. He's erected stocks, a whipping post and gallows in the town square. There are new Peacekeepers and people are scared. It's not the same district that it was three days ago."

Leaning on hand against the window frame, he peered out in the direction towards the town, almost as if by squinting hard enough he'd be able to see the changes himself.

"There's an atmosphere of fear, Gale. There's no way you're going to get your rebellion now."

"The mines could still rise. You haven't been down there, Catnip. The resentment is festering among the miners," he said, recognising his words as a desperate need to cling to some kind of hope.

"What are unarmed miners going to do against Thread's Peacekeepers? These are not Darius or Purnia and their Ilk. They are trained to kill with no remorse. They will think nothing of shooting down a mob of people."

"We could still –"

"No, Gale! The idea is dead in the water. You won't get a rebellion, you'll just get killed and what do you think the Capitol will do to Hazelle and the kids? They'll be used as an example and you know it," she said firmly before continuing, "However, that's not the worst of it: he burnt down the Hob."

His eyes met Katniss' in the darkened glass. He could see the sadness on her face. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah. No one was inside. But it's gone," she said bleakly.

_Gone._

The word reverberated around his skull.

_Gone._

Just like his plans to forge a new life for his family – whether it was taking a chance out in the wilderness or bringing down the Capitol.

* * *

It was several hours before Madge was able to leave her house to go and check on the Hawthornes. True to the conversation with her dad, they'd had an 'argument' over her desire to go to Gale's house for the benefit of Martha and the cook, Abel. Madge had fled to her bedroom in tears and had not come out until he father had left for the Justice Building once more.

She'd then snuck downstairs and into the kitchen where Martha was folding laundry.

"If I'm not back by the time Dad returns, could you tell him that I've gone to Delly's house?"

Martha eyed the basket that Madge was filling with food from the cupboards with no attempt to even be sneaky about it and gave her a knowing look. "I can do that."

Giving her a smile, Madge flipped down the lid of the basket and grabbed her coat from next to the back door. "Thanks, Martha," she said.

"I'm sorry about what happened to that boy of yours, Madge. He didn't deserve that."

Her face fell at the remembrance of Gale's back when she'd arrived at the Everdeens. The sweat that had beaded his face as he'd grimaced with the pain as Mrs Everdeen worked to clean the wounds. "No. No, he didn't. No one does," she said quietly before sidling out the door.

The walk into the Seam and to the Hawthorne house was quiet. Nobody loitered in the streets, although those she passed gave her searching looks. She guessed news of her relationship with Gale had spread since they'd gone public the weekend before. They would've received askew glances anyway, but with the whipping on top she supposed a continuing relationship with Gale would be extra scandalous for the daughter of the Mayor.

Her knock on the Hawthorne door was slow to be answered but Rory finally opened the door, surprise on his face when he saw who was outside.

"Hi, Rory. Is your mom around?"

"Yeah," he said before he called over his shoulder, "Ma, Madge is here!"

Hazelle appeared out of the back room, wiping her hands on a towel. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she hadn't slept for many hours, and her hair was coming out of the bun that usually rested neatly at the back of her head.

"Madge, sweetheart, come in, come in."

Rory eyed the basket in her hands curiously as she entered and she placed it on the table, twisting her hands together as she let go and turned around to face Hazelle.

"I hope you don't mind, but I brought some food. I know Gale wouldn't like it and he wouldn't hesitate to tell me that you don't accept charity, but with him currently not here and not able to go hunting, I thought you might need some help."

She hadn't thought about her actions when she'd packed the basket in her kitchen. It had almost been automatic. But now that she was in the Hawthorne house, she was worried just how Hazelle might interpret her actions. It was something that had never come up between them before and she didn't know if Gale's hostile attitude to any kind of handout would be mirrored by his mother.

Hazelle gave a wry smile, pointing to the empty washing basket and said, "With no work or money coming in, pride isn't going to get my kids fed."

"You have no customers for washing?" she asked.

"No one wants to associate with us at the moment. Not with Thread and his Peacekeepers nosing around and asking questions. Not that I could do the washing anyway at the moment."

Madge tilted her head inquiringly.

"Posy has measles. It's why I wasn't at the house to check on Gale first thing this morning."

The sheer exhaustion and sadness on Hazelle's face made Madge's eyes well up with tears. This woman had gone through so many hardships already – she shouldn't be faced with a son who was lashed for keeping his family from starving or face being ostracised from the community because of it.

"I could take out tesserae, Ma," Rory said, his arms folded over his chest in a mannerism he could only have learnt from his older brother.

"No," Hazelle said. "I don't want you to have to do that. I don't ever want another of my children to ever have to do that."

"Better than accepting charity," he said with a scowl at the basket.

If circumstances had been any different, Madge would have laughed at Rory aping his brother so much, but they weren't, so she put a hand out and touched his arm and said, "How would Gale feel about you doing that? He's always sworn that he would never allow you to take out extra tesserae. Besides, how could I stand by and let you do that when I have the means to help? How could I face Gale?"

"Madge is right. Gale would be angrier at you taking out tesserae than at us for accepting food from her. " Hazelle said as she came over and pulled Madge into a hug. "Thank you, my dear."

Once the basket was unpacked and tea had been made, Madge and Hazelle were able to sit down.

"How is he?"

"As good as can be expected. His back is healing and Mrs Everdeen is happy with it," Madge replied.

Hazelle nodded. "Ivy would know. She dealt with a good few whippings when we were younger. That night is a bit of a blur so I'm not sure if I thanked you for bringing the morphling. You saved Gale's life."

"You did already and I would never have lived with myself if Gale had died when the means to save him was sitting in my home."

"Thank your mother for me, too."

"I will," Madge said taking a sip of her tea.

"You care for him, don't you?" Hazelle asked.

Colour flooded into her cheeks at having this conversation with Gale's mom, but she couldn't lie about it. "I do. Very much."

"I'm glad. You're a good girl, Madge, and my son is lucky to have someone as kind and sweet as you to look out for him. He probably doesn't deserve it."

Ducking her head down, she stared into her tea and debated for a moment whether to tell Hazelle that they had decided to be a couple for real. Taking a deep breath, she paused for a moment before meeting Hazelle's eyes. "We're together now. You know, properly."

A blinding smile broke out on Hazelle's face. "Now that is some good news. I could tell he was confused about how he felt. You weren't what he was expecting and it threw him for a loop."

Deciding that she might as well go all out, Madge asked the question that was all but burning a hole on her tongue. "You wouldn't prefer Gale to be with Katniss?"

Hazelle laughed a little at that. "As much as I love Katniss, and I really do, she's not right for him. I know my son and he needs someone who tempers that fire inside him and who challenges him. I saw early on that you did that and despite his stubborn desire to cling to the idea of Katniss, you snuck under his skin."

"He snuck under mine, too."

"Hawthorne men have a nasty habit of doing that," Hazelle said with a fond smile. "I see so much of their father in all my children, but especially in Gale. It's not from me that Gale gets all his fire from. Celyn was never one to meekly accept the status quo and he courted danger far too often for my liking. He was proud, too. He wouldn't accept a basket of food, no matter how kindly meant."

"But I think it was from you that Gale gets all his determination from. You've kept this family together through sheer strength of will and you will do whatever it takes to keep your children healthy and thriving including accepting a basket of food."

"Yes. Yes, I will."

A thin, reedy wail came from the back room and Hazelle straightened her shoulders and said, "Break time is over!"

Putting a hand on Hazelle's wrist, she stopped the older woman for a moment. "It's not easy for me to come here right now. My father, he's having to tread a very thin line with all the changes, and is pretending that he disapproves of Gale now he's been caught with a turkey, so if I can, I will come back tomorrow with some medicine for Posy –" she saw that Hazelle was about to protest and she put her hand up. "Please don't turn it down. It's the least I can do. If I can't bring it by then our maid, Martha, will."

"Won't she follow your father's line?"

Madge smiled cheekily at that. "Martha's a romantic and she'll look at it as aiding star-crossed lovers. I don't plan on disabusing her of that idea."

Hazelle laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Madge! That is incredibly sneaky."

"We need to use every advantage we have right now."

"Yes, I guess we do."

"I'll definitely be back once Gale makes it home," she said, pulling her coat on and resting the now empty basket in the crook of her arm.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Hazelle squeezed her close for a moment and said, "Thank you for all your help, and I meant what I said: Gale's a very lucky boy to have you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: ****There's going to be delays in between the last couple of chapters just because my beta is super busy at the moment. But after this chapter, there are only 2 more left!**

**Many thanks, as always, to swirlsofblack for all her help with this chapter and also thanks to you for reading and especially for those who comment. I love hearing your feedback on each chapter.**

* * *

It took longer than initially thought before Mrs Everdeen released Gale to go home. He chafed at the restrictions that had been put upon him for over a week, and it was made even worse by the fact that Madge had only managed to come and see him twice.

_It's my dad," she'd said. "A huge amount of pressure is being put on him, both by Thread and the Capitol, to prove his undivided loyalty to Panem."_

"_What's that got to do with you coming to see me?" he'd asked._

"_Allowing his daughter to date a convicted poacher has been seized upon by Thread," she'd said, her eyes darkening with anger as she'd continued, "Thread's even been by to see me to question me about you and your 'activities'."_

_He had heard the anger in her voice at the Head Peacekeeper's presumption and had felt even more helpless at bringing this down on her._

"_Sorry," he'd said, bending his head and kissing her softly._

"_It's not your fault, Gale. None of this is your fault."_

"_It is when Thread comes after you because of me."_

"_No, it's the fault of the Capitol for refusing to allow the districts to breathe."_

Now, as he walked through the square and towards the Seam, it was almost as if he'd been stuck in the Victors' Village for years, not for just under two weeks. District 12 had never been the most bustling of places, but the square had never been this deserted before.

He could see Katniss watching him out the corner of his eye as they passed the blackened hulk of the Hob, but he could say nothing. The words stuck in his throat as he saw just how changed everything was.

The menacing shadow of the gallows and stocks in the District square receded from his mind as the worst thing to face him as they entered the Seam. No, here was by far the worst; people wore the pinched and hungry look that Gale recognised all too well from that first winter his father had been gone and he'd struggled to find his footing in the woods when the game was scarce.

Miners who would usually be back at work milled the streets, looking lost and broken. The small kernel of hope that he'd clung to while stuck at the Everdeens withered in his chest. All around him was despair and fear, and he knew that Katniss was right: the people of District 12 would never rise up now.

It was with a heavy heart that he tramped up to his house. He didn't want to think about how tough things had been for his family while he'd been out of commission. His mother had put on a cheerful face when she'd come by the Everdeen house, but she had told him that no one was hiring her to wash for them anymore. Questions regarding money and food had surrounded his final few days up in the Victors' Village. With the mines still closed and Ma not working, how were they supposed to survive? Hazelle had offered some rather vague answers when he asked her what she was doing for food and Katniss hadn't been much better. She'd told him that she'd given some more money to Hazelle, which had caused him to clench his jaw. From the look on her face, she'd known just how much he'd wanted to snap something harsh at her, but she'd calmly pointed out once more that Posy had been sick and needed to eat _something_. There had been nothing he could say to that.

He hadn't thought to ask Madge about his family. He knew she had been visiting as both she and his mother had mentioned it, but he wished he had once he walked through the door and saw the pot of stew bubbling on the stove. It wasn't the most bounteous meal he'd ever seen, but it was a lot more than the stewed nettles and dandelions he had been expecting and which probably sat atop most stoves in the Seam that night.

It didn't take more than a quick look around the room for him to find the culprit. Madge sat there, staring at him apprehensively, her shoulders tense, almost as if she expected an explosion. Posy sat next to her, a small hunk of bread sticking out of her mouth. It wasn't tesserae grain bread either, but the fine stuff that the Mellarks baked.

Since entering the Seam and seeing the hunger all around, he'd been steeling himself to find his siblings looking gaunt and hungry, but Posy's cheeks still retained a healthy roundness to them even though she was obviously recovering from illness. So instead of the expected rush of anger at Madge's handouts, Gale felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and affection. Despite clearly worried about how he would react, she had stepped up and made sure his family was provided for. As he saw the bright expressions on Posy's, Vick's and Rory's faces – so at odds with those desperate expressions he'd seen in the streets of the Seam – he realised that he couldn't be mad at her for that.

Dropping a kiss on top of her head, he slid into the seat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thank you," he said in a quiet voice only she could hear.

"You're not angry?" she asked, surprised.

"I've seen the kids outside, Madge, how could I wish that for Posy? Does it sting my pride? Yes, but not so much that I would wish any of my siblings to look so thin and hungry."

With a sigh of relief that dispelled the rest of the tension he could feel in her, she snuggled into his side, resting her head against his shoulder. His arm slid down and tightened around her waist.

The quietness of the room had him looking up from where he was gazing at Madge and he scowled as he saw they were at the centre of attention, but his mother's fond smile had him swallowing back any harsh words for everyone to mind their own business.

Later that night when everyone else was in bed, Gale sat the table with Hazelle as she took down the hem on Rory's trousers.

"That boy is going to be as tall as you soon," she remarked.

"He's a Hawthorne. He's bound to be tall. And you're not exactly short yourself!"

"He was going to take out tesserae, Gale," Hazelle said abruptly.

"What?"

"He was going to take out tesserae like half the district kids have done already. I'm glad you didn't shout at Madge – she's the only reason why he didn't."

He was glad he hadn't succumbed to anger, too, especially if Madge's baskets had stopped Rory from doing that.

Exhaling a large breath, he dropped his head in his hands at the thought of Rory's name going into the reaping more than absolutely necessary. He didn't want his brother to live with the sinking feeling that came with knowing that every year your name was in the reaping bowl more than others around you. There had been 42 slips with Gale's name in it during the reaping last year and he had been sure his number was up. Obviously, all it took was one slip, as little Prim had learned, but Gale was damned if Rory was going to have more than the mandatory three slips in the bowl when he faced his third reaping in a couple of months.

A hand softly combing through his hair had him lifting his head once more. "When you were little this was the only way to soothe you to sleep when you were ill," his mother said. "It's hard for me at times to think of you as a man of nineteen."

"Not sure I'm a man yet, Ma," he said with a smile.

"You've been a man since the day your father died and I couldn't have asked for a better son to help me out."

They didn't often speak of his father. In some ways, the wounds of his death were still too raw. He had been taken too young by a system that thought nothing of spitting the workers it depended on back out.

"You be careful going back into those mines, Gale. President Snow is angry at Katniss for some reason and is hitting back at the district. When the mines reopen, you'll all be pushed into dangerous working conditions. I've seen it before when Haymitch upset the status quo. My father and uncles worked in the mines then and they were made to work in unsafe areas. More than one crew didn't make it home that year."

Hazelle cleared away her sewing kit and stood, kissing him on the cheek as she walked to her bedroom.

Any remaining flickers of hope he'd kept kindled for a possible miner's revolt died there and then. Unlike his mother, he knew a little of what was happening outside their District, but even Hazelle knew things were only going to get tougher for those in District 12. Any chance of a rebellion developing was going to be crushed before it could ignite.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Madge found it hard to slip back into her old routine of going to school and mooching around the house. She had become too used to going down to the Seam every night to see Gale and his family. But now that she was 'officially' banned from dating Gale, she wasn't able to do that. Not that she could have done so anyway with the curfew that was in effect.

Then there was the very real problem of Gale being back at work in the mines, which were open again, for much longer hours. The few times she had managed to sneak out to see him, he had been covered in coal dust, wincing from the pain in his back, and all but toppling over from exhaustion. He didn't even have Sundays off any more as the miners were told they had to work seven days a week until the coal production they'd lost during the bad weather had been made up. No one believed it of course – it was just a way to keep a large chunk of the population downtrodden and tired.

She had seen Katniss, of course, who was housebound due to hurting her foot. She said it was because she'd slipped on ice, but when Madge relayed this to Gale, he had snorted and said she'd been on the wrong side of the fence when the electricity went on.

Katniss being housebound might well have meant that Madge could have filled her time up in the Victors' Village. However, Katniss had been wrapped up in a new project, one that Peeta was heavily involved in. Madge wasn't keen on disrupting their time together. She wasn't too sure what was going on between the pair – Katniss generally being so closed-mouthed – but she knew that any time they spent together in normal circumstances had to be good.

So the times Madge made the journey to the Victors' Village decreased, and when she did go up, it was usually to Haymitch's house where Hazelle now worked as his housekeeper. She'd shown Madge a cheerful face at the change and joked wryly that her hands were the best they'd been for years now they were no longer constantly chapped and raw from the all the washing she'd done previously.

Gale had swallowed any objections he'd probably had to the appointment and Madge had squeezed his hand in encouragement the night when Haymitch had shuffled his way into the Hawthorne's small little home, looking like a complete mess, and offered Hazelle the job. Katniss was at his side and Madge still wasn't sure if she had stood so closely to her Games mentor because she had something sharp dug into his side to make him offer a job to Hazelle. Haymitch wasn't renowned for his generosity and it wasn't as if he had any connection at all to the Hawthornes, so someone had obviously strong-armed him into making the offer and Madge bet it was Katniss. Hazelle hadn't even taken a moment to consider the offer and had later joked to Madge that she had made sure she'd taken it before it was rescinded. Gale had kept his mouth shut for the whole time Haymitch had been inside his home, melting into the background as if he realised that a smart quip from him could jeopardise the arrangement.

The crackdowns in the district continued under Thread and, as a result, her father spent far more time in the Justice Building than he did at home. She kept her mother company for a couple of hours each day, but she still wasn't well enough to come downstairs and Madge wondered if she ever would be.

Today, however, her father was home for the evening due to the mandatory viewing. The gossip at school had been that it was Katniss' wedding dress shoot and more than one person had come up to Madge and asked if she had seen any of the dresses and if Katniss had modelled any of them for her. She had stifled the urge to snap at them, but she did wonder if any of them remembered Katniss from school. She was hardly the girl to go around trying on wedding dresses for fun.

However, her dad's demeanour wasn't relaxed, which made her think that there was something more to the programming. His tension didn't dissipate as they watched Katniss float around in one gorgeous dress after another, and after trying to engage Symeon's interest in debating which one was the nicest to no success, Madge shut up and sat there simmering in her own anxieties.

Just what was coming up that had her dad so nervous?

It didn't take long for her to find out as President Snow took to the stage, dressed all in white as was his habit. Madge couldn't help but think that someone must have told him it was clever to dress in white due to his surname when he was young and it stuck in his mind. She personally didn't think it was that original or witty, but then again, as she'd experienced first hand, President Snow had a strange sense of humour.

A small boy followed him onto the stage, a wooden box clutched in his hand.

"The reading of the card for the Quarter Quell," Madge muttered and shot a look at her dad, who rubbed his brow wearily.

Snow started to go through the history of the Games, retelling the Capitol sanctioned version of the Dark Days and then into the history of the Quarter Quells themselves. Madge had never been so grateful that her mother was lying upstairs in a morphling daze, because it would be awful for her to have to watch this.

It had been for the last Quarter Quell that her aunt had been reaped for. That year they had reaped double the amount of tributes, making it the largest Games in history. Madge had once been told by the previous Capitol escort to District 12 that it was an honour that her aunt had made it to the last five in such a large field, but as Madge thought of her mom and the debilitating headaches that got worse each year, she couldn't see any honour in it. All she saw was a woman destroyed by the Games that had killed her twin sister.

Finally, the young boy held out the wooden box and opened the lid allowing the president to pull out the yellowed envelope of the card clearly marked as 75.

"How many Quarter Quells were planned for when the system was first devised?" she asked her dad, her eyebrows raised at the number of upright rows of cards.

"500 years," Symeon said. "But the nature of the Quell wasn't set in stone then."

She frowned at his answer. What did he mean? The nature of each Quarter Quell was clearly already decided as the yellowed envelopes signalled. But before she could question her dad any further, the president started talking once more.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

Madge's mind reeled for a moment as the exact words of the president become clear. District 12 only had three victors and only one female.

It meant Katniss was going back in.

Her dad's words uttered just minutes ago suddenly made sense and she turned her head sharply to look at him, her mouth agape, to find that he was already looking at her with a sad but knowing expression on his face. That card hadn't been devised seventy-five years ago – it had been written recently with the expressed aim of getting rid of Katniss.

Madge was up and out of her seat quickly, wanting to do nothing more than dash to her friend's house, to somehow be there for her at such a terrible time, but her father grabbed hold of her wrist and stopped her from running out the room.

"You can't, Madge. You can't be seen anywhere near Katniss Everdeen tonight," he said quietly.

His words were whispered in her ear and she knew he was afraid that bugs had been planted throughout the rest of their house. His office had always been bugged along with the telephone lines but their private living quarters had never been, but Thread had been in and out of their house recently and she wouldn't have put it past him to place some around their living room.

"But she might need me!" she whispered back in a reedy voice that expressed her desperation.

"There is nothing you can do for her now, and rushing off out into the night and up to the Victors' Village is going to bring us under yet more scrutiny. Thread has only just stopped breathing down your neck regarding Gale and the curfew has only just been lifted. What do you think is going to happen if you now run headlong to your friend who has just had a Quell devised to kill her?"

She sat down next to him on the sofa, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her heart hurt for a friend who had done nothing to deserve this torment.

"You can help her, Madge, just not right now," Symeon murmured into her ear.

Madge nodded and gulped back a sob. Kissing her dad on the cheek, she said, "I'm going up to bed."

Hours later, she was still awake, lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes felt gritty from the further tears she'd shed for Katniss into her pillow and the general hopelessness of all their lives.

She dismissed the small ping against her windowpane at first as nothing more than her imagination, but it was soon followed in quick succession by two more. Wondering what was going on, Madge pushed her covers back and padded quietly across to the window. She peered out and gave a small gasp when she saw Gale outside, his hair dishevelled as if he'd run his hands through it countless times.

Signalling for him to wait, she wrapped her robe around her and crept as silently as she could downstairs and out the back, into the garden.

"Gale," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he said as he jerked her into his arms.

He buried his head in her neck and her nose wrinkled at the powerful smell of white liquor that poured off him.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

"Not me. Catnip. She tipped her bottle down my jacket."

"You've seen her? I wanted to come but my dad refused to let me leave. Is she alright?"

She bit her lip as soon as the stupid question was out her mouth. Of course Katniss wouldn't be okay. Who would be in such a scenario?

"She was drunk. I've never seen Katniss drunk. She ran out as soon as the Quell was announced and turned up hours later with a bottle from Abernathy in one hand and the other bleeding. She hadn't been with Abernathy all evening though, because I'd already been around there to try and find her. Going by the state of her, my bet is that she found somewhere to hole up while she went to pieces for a while," he muttered into her neck.

The deep well of Madge's sadness overflowed at Gale's words and the tears started to fall once more. "I'm sorry," she said, as he lifted his head to wipe at one that had dripped onto his cheek. "I'm not the one who should be crying nonstop about this, but I can't help it. I just feel so helpless. How could they do this? How can they send her back in there again?"

"Hey," he said, gathering her closer and resting his cheek against the top of head. "You have every right to be sad, too. And we'll find a way to help her."

"How? It's not as if we can overthrow the Capitol from here! Bigger districts than us are uprising but all it has led to is this Quell…" she trailed off then, realising that she had said much more than she had meant to. Gale hadn't heard about the rebellions in the other districts and she'd promised her dad she wouldn't tell him.

He stiffened against her then. "Wait – you know about District 8, too?"

"District 8, District 4, District 3," she said, knowing she couldn't lie to him. "I heard about 8 from Katniss but my dad told me about the other districts when I returned back from being snowed in at the Everdeens. He wanted me to know just how serious this situation was."

"Katniss heard something about District 8 when she getting ready for the Victory Tour dinner. She told me the day after. We argued. She wanted to run, but as soon as I knew about the uprising in 8, I wanted to stay and organise a rebellion here. But she probably told you all this already," he said, looking down at her a little sternly.

"Yeah," she said with a wry smile.

He pinched her waist then and she squirmed at the ticklish sensation. But the light-hearted moment didn't last more than a couple of seconds. "It doesn't matter anyway. With the measures Thread's put in place here there is no hope of getting anyone to rise up. Even the grumbling of the miners has been muted since we've gone back into the mines, despite how hard they are pushing us."

"I'm glad," Madge said, cupping his face between her hands. "You would get yourself killed, Gale. We're too small a district for a rebellion to be successful. You would be easily crushed unless you got everyone out onto the streets and you know that would never happen."

"Doesn't mean I'm not willing to try."

"Don't talk like that, Gale, please. I can't lose you to some suicide mission that will achieve nothing. Besides, think about what would happen to your family. They would hang from the gallows in the square – even little Posy. You wouldn't bring that onto them."

He rested his forehead against hers. "No, I wouldn't. But I can't help but dream about hitting back. They are taking my best friend from me, _again_, Madge. They are taking her away to die in another arena."

Her thumbs encountered a trail of moisture as they brushed over his cheeks soothingly. She leaned up and kissed the wetness away, knowing that Gale needed nothing more than unstinting comfort right now. He was hurting – much more than she was – and if there was one thing Madge could do for him, it was to hold him tight and let him cry about his closest friend.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews and comments. I love reading what you all think.**

**This is the second to last chapter. It might be 3 or so weeks until the last chapter is published because my beta is incredibly busy at the moment and I only sent the final chapter off to her. So sorry about the potential wait.**

**On that note, my thanks to swirlsofblack who continues to help out with this fic despite being so busy!**

* * *

A few days after the Quell and Katniss' drunken reaction to it, Gale came home from the mines. He was tired but not as exhausted as he had been over the past six weeks. They had finally 'caught up' with the annual production schedule, so the mine had returned to usual working conditions. He never would've thought that a return to 12-hour shifts six days a week would have been welcome but that was before he'd had to work 16-hour shifts seven days a week.

His back seemed to finally have healed, too. There were still occasional twinges of pain (Mrs Everdeen had told him to expect that for a while), but none of the burning agony of pain when he over-stretched or had a particularly strenuous day. His mother still applied the healing balm every night but he knew that the ridges of scar tissue weren't going to get any smaller. His back would be scarred for the rest of his life. He wasn't vain, though, and he would wear them with as much pride as he could. They were a badge of how he had resisted Capitol rule, albeit in the smallest way possible. He was a survivor and those scars proved it.

As he clattered in through the door, leaving his boots on the rack outside and his coat hanging on the outside peg, he saw a flash of blonde in the gloomy room. A smile broke out. Madge was here? She wasn't meant to be. They generally couldn't see each other more than once or twice a week and they were the highlight of his schedule.

But as his eyes adjusted to the darker room, he realised the blond hair was a lot shorter than Madge's and attached to a taller, more masculine frame.

Mellark.

They might not be rivals for Katniss' affections any more (if Gale had ever been in with a chance), but that didn't meant they'd suddenly become good friends. He didn't think he'd ever held a conversation with just him. So why had the baker's boy sought him out?

Hazelle bustled about, chatting lightly to Mellark as she did so. Gale supposed she saw him when she worked over at Abernathy's. It wasn't something he spoke to her about beyond her assuring him that she liked the job a lot more than washing people's clothes. Abernathy might be a disgusting pig, but he paid his mother well.

"Mellark," Gale said with a nod of his head.

"Gale, I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I wished to discuss something with you," Mellark replied in that pleasant tone that always made Gale feel like an uncouth brute. He supposed it didn't help that Mellark always called him by his first name while Gale refused to acknowledge that Mellark even had one.

"Sure," he replied, pulling out a chair opposite to where Mellark sat at the kitchen table. He ignored the wide-eyed glances his siblings sent his way from where they were perched, fascinated, on the battered sofa. He sent a quick scowl their way. So he might not have hidden his dislike of the other boy very well, but he wasn't going to physically attack him or anything.

"I don't know if Katniss mentioned anything to you or not, but we plan to train in the lead up to the Quarter Quell. Try and improve our strength and skills, you know, the way the careers do."

Gale mentally snorted. That wasn't quite the way Katniss had put it when he'd seen her the day before last. She had been a lot more scathing about it, but he knew that she would agree to the plan after a little resistance. It might have come from Mellark but it was a good idea. They would need all the preparation they could get if Katniss was going to come home alive again. He felt a twinge of guilt as he looked at Mellark and realised that he was fine with him dying in the arena if it meant Katniss came home once more. There was no way two people were getting out of that arena alive again and there was no way Gale would wish for anyone other than Katniss to come out.

"Yeah, she made a passing reference to it."

"Well, it's not just about rebuilding stamina and fitness. There's lots of other skills that could help us in the arena," he said before he took a deep breath and continued, "I was hoping you could teach us about hunting and snares."

Gale raised his eyebrows. He was surprised that Mellark had come to ask him personally. He could easily have just sent Katniss down with the request. Gale would never have said no to Katniss. But there was no love lost between him and Mellark and he could easily refuse him. He wouldn't, though. Not if this gave whoever went in with Katniss a better chance of keeping her alive.

"Alright," he replied, cutting across whatever babble Mellark was spewing to try and further convince him.

"What? Just like that? I'm asking you give up your one day off a week to help me."

"To help Katniss," he said pointedly.

"Right, to help Katniss," Mellark repeated drily. "We plan on starting this week. Could you make it up on Sunday?"

"I'll be there," Gale said.

With a nod of his head in his direction, and a kind smile and some words to Hazelle, Mellark took his leave.

Hazelle swatted him around the head with the tea towel she held. "You could have been nicer to him," she admonished. "He's a nice boy."

"Not you, too," he muttered.

However, that was the problem. Gale _knew_ Mellark was nice and it infuriated him that he couldn't hate him when he wanted to so much. It didn't matter if he wasn't in love with Katniss anymore, he still didn't want to like Mellark.

That Sunday, Gale made the walk up to the Victor's Village. He was surprised when he saw Madge there. He hadn't mentioned he was going there when they saw each other on Thursday. He hadn't wanted to spend what little time they had together discussing preparations for the Quarter Quell.

As he drew nearer to Mellark's dining room table, he saw why she there. Spread out across the dark wood was a Capitol newspaper with pictures of past victors dotting its pages. The four of them had their heads bent over it. Abernathy was saying something and pointing to a victor as Peeta took notes and Katniss listened intently with a furrow between her eyebrows.

Placing his hands on Madge's shoulder and resting his chin on top of her head, he smiled as she startled at his touch, apparently just as interested in what Abernathy was saying as the other two.

"Hi," she whispered in a surprised tone, tipping her head up to see him. "I didn't know you were coming."

He dropped an upside down kiss on her mouth before he whispered back, "I might not have any stolen newspapers to contribute but I'm here to help them with survival skills in the woods."

"If the lovebirds have quite finished," Abernathy said nastily, "we might be able to continue."

Madge looked away hastily, colour flooding her cheeks at the rebuke, but Gale just raised an eyebrow Abernathy's way. The Victor sent him an un-amused glare before turning his attention once more to the newspaper.

Gale didn't get a chance to be alone with Madge until just before lunch. He had spent the morning teaching the three victors some of the more simple snares. He tried his hardest not to look too smug as both Mellark and Abernathy struggled to tie the wires into intricate knots but ultimately failing. Madge elbowed him in the side and hissed, "Stop looking so pleased with yourself! Remember this is to actually help them, not make you feel superior."

"That's really good, Madge," Katniss said, nodding to the snare Madge had put together alongside them.

"Gale taught me a couple of things when he took me out into the woods," she replied.

"I bet he did," Abernathy said with heavy innuendo.

Gale shot the older man a glare before he turned to Katniss and said, "She's a natural. It's those nimble piano playing fingers. She even caught a couple of rabbits."

Everyone but Abernathy looked suitably impressed and Gale grinned at the shy smile on Madge's face and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.

After the first snare lesson was over, the three victors worked on their general fitness. Gale was tempted for a moment to join in, but his body deserved the one day of rest it got from physical labour, so instead he went inside with Madge and started assembling lunch together for them all to share.

Madge sat on a counter nibbling at a cheese roll as she watched him move confidently around the kitchen.

"Does your dad know about the newspapers?" Gale asked her curiously. He'd had no interaction with the Mayor since before his whipping. He knew the awkward position the Mayor currently found himself in and he wondered if he would approve of Madge coming up here to help Katniss and Peeta. Gale understood his desire to keep his family safe. A harsh example would be made of a disloyal Mayor and it would be as cruel and barbarous as the Capitol could devise.

She shook her head and swallowed her mouthful. "No, I haven't brought it up to him. I don't want to burden him with anything unnecessary. If he's noticed his papers are disturbed, he's said nothing to me. I just wish I could offer something more substantial than Capitol newspaper gossip, but he keeps all his classified papers in the Justice Building. Maybe, I could –"

"Don't even think about it, Madge," he interrupted, coming to stand in front of her. "You're doing enough as it is and if you get caught sneaking around the Justice Building, you'll be killed, as will your dad. The risk isn't worth it."

"I just want to give them as much of an advantage as possible."

"I know, but getting yourself killed is not going to help any of them in the arena. President Snow is sadistic enough to use you against them and think of the impact it would have…even on Abernathy. You've always said you look just like your aunt."

"When did you become the rational and patient one?" she asked.

He smiled at that and moved in between her legs, his arms sliding up her thighs to rest on her hips. "Since a certain beautiful blonde came into my life and turned it upside down."

"Hmm…I didn't think you and Peeta were so friendly," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Cheeky," he murmured against her lips before he moulded his mouth to hers.

Her hands tangled into his hair and her legs came around his hips, manoeuvring him as close to her as their position allowed. He groaned as her tongue slid against his and he angled his head to deepen the kiss, swallowing her little moan as his hands snuck under her shirt to caress her bare skin.

A pointed coughing noise from the door had Gale jumping backwards while Madge bashed her head against a cupboard as she pulled away as quickly as possible.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mellark said, an embarrassed look on his face that was mirrored on Madge's face. "But we're coming in for lunch."

"Right," Gale said, running a hand through his hair. "I'll start putting it on the table."

* * *

The slight feeling of guilt didn't leave Madge during the months she spent helping train the three victors because she was so happy during this time. The Sundays when Gale would show up had become the highlight of her week. The training sessions were based out of Peeta's house and they would always get a few stolen moments together that weren't possible elsewhere due to the public nature of the Meadow or the overcrowded Hawthorne house.

However, the bliss of being in Gale's arms didn't stop her from feeling terrible for benefitting from the victors' impending battle with death.

"Katniss doesn't begrudge us this," Gale murmured as he peppered kisses down her neck. "She knows more than anyone how thin happiness is here in the districts and how it can be ripped from us without any notice."

"I just wish she could have the same thing," Madge gasped out before she tugged Gale's head up and pressed her lips against his, her tongue demanding entry to his mouth.

"She hasn't said anything," Gale panted minutes later. "But Mellark has been looking a lot happier recently. If they aren't taking advantage of this house as we are then I'll eat a lump of coal."

Madge giggled at that but she was glad. Like Gale said: any happiness right now was fleeting and should be grasped with both hands.

The reality of that sunk in a few days later as Katniss and Peeta were whisked away from District 12 without being allowed to say goodbye to anyone. Gale met Madge's eyes from the other side of the corridor where they had been waiting for the allotted hour they were allowed with the tributes. Prim was sobbing inconsolably in his arms, the strain of trying to remain strong for Katniss' sake and being refused an opportunity to say goodbye had become too much for her.

The Mayor continued to stand in the doorway, looking at the small group with sad eyes after he'd told them the news. Reaping day was always hard on her father. He hated them with a passion but this was a new level of cruel. Having to inform families and friends that they didn't even get to say goodbye…

"I'm sorry," Symeon said to Ivy Everdeen as she gathered Prim from Gale and started to walk, her shoulders slumped, to the exit.

She gave him a sad smile and replied, "It's not your fault, Symeon. I know that."

He gave a defeated shrug. Madge knew that at times like this he _did _feel like it was his fault; that somehow he should be able to do something more.

Soon it was just Madge, her father and Gale left. The Mayor raised his eyes to Gale and said, "Son, would you mind seeing Madge home? The Peacekeepers are on high alert and I'd rather she didn't walk back alone."

Gale nodded and Madge stood up from the seat she'd been rooted in since they'd received the news that Katniss and Peeta had already left the district. Going to hug her father, she whispered in his ear, "Don't blame yourself, Daddy. There was nothing you could do to change this."

He gave her a small smile and pushed her softly towards Gale. "Don't dawdle," he said. "The Peacekeepers are looking for a reason to crack down on the district even harder."

Lacing her fingers through Gale's, she turned to look over her shoulder at her father's retreating figure. He radiated stress, his shoulders rigid and he was running a hand through this thinning hair, something he only did when he was tense.

"He's taking it hard," Gale said as they walked out into the hot sunshine. It was stifling in the square, the coal dust was bone dry and would fly up at the merest hint of a breeze, getting in your eyes, nose and mouth.

"He always does," Madge said with a sigh. "You might not see it but he mourns every tribute that gets sent to the Games. He just can't show it publicly as that would be an act of sedition."

As they went down the steps of the Justice Building, Gale went to disentangle his fingers from hers, but she clung on tighter. "Madge," he said warningly, "you know what your dad said. Thread is looking for a reason to come after you again. If he sees us like this he'll be back to questioning you about your relationship with a convicted criminal."

"I don't care," Madge said. "I'm tired of pretending for the sake of the Capitol. We pretended to be together because it suited Snow's agenda, and now we have to pretend that we mean nothing to each other because Thread wants a reason to go after my dad."

"But–" he started to say.

"But nothing," she interrupted. "My dad has always towed the line. Oh, he's sought to make things as easy as he can for the people of the district, but he has never encouraged any acts of rebellion. If the Capitol wants to bring him down, then they will. Look at Katniss: she jumped through every hoop President Snow set her and it still wasn't enough. They designed a Games to destroy her. Life is too short for us to stop holding hands because Thread might be lurking around."

He stopped trying to disentangle his fingers then and tugged on her hand to bring her in close to him. "So you won't mind if I do this then," he said, stooping to brush his lips against hers.

"Only if you let me do this in return," she said, leaning up and kissing him for a little longer.

"C'mon, let's get you home," Gale said, a grin on his face as she stepped back from him.

All pretence dropped, Madge spent as much time as she could with Gale. Her father hadn't even batted an eyelid at the change of tactic. He looked so worn every time she saw him that Madge wondered if he had given up altogether. She tried to broach the topic with him a couple of evenings later as they quietly pottered about in the garden, trying to take advantage of the small breeze that brought relief from the heat.

"You haven't said anything about me spending time with Gale every night since the Reaping," she said. "Aren't you worried about the scrutiny it might put us under?"

"Right now, Madge, I just want you to experience some happiness. I worry about what this Games will bring down on us."

Dread filled the pit of her stomach. "What do you mean?"

He smiled tiredly at her before he patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, darling. Just expect food to become scarce again if Katniss and Peeta make it deep into the Games."

Not worrying was easier said than done. Many families in the Seam would be struggling if the food supplies became disrupted again. People had barely made it through the rough month or so after Gale was whipped and it had been a long road to recovery for the hardest hit. It would only take another week of such deprivation for the old and young to begin starving to death once more.

However, Madge didn't put voice to these thoughts. Her father knew this better than anyone and she did not want to add to the obvious burden that he was already carrying.

Instead, she forced a smile and offered to make him his favourite cup of peppermint tea.

When Madge was with Gale, they both showed no interest in the build-up to the Games, preferring to spend time wandering the Meadow and talking with each other instead of watching the macabre show the Capitol was putting on.

The district remained tense despite Katniss and Peeta returning to the Games arena. Arrests continued apace, with stays in the stocks and lashings meted out as punishment. The build-up of Peacekeepers continued until Gale joked grimly that there were now more Peacekeepers than people in the District. Thread had been round to question Madge once more about Gale's activities, but as the fence was electrified at all times of the day and night, he couldn't prove that Gale was jumping the fence (not that he was anyway).

The feeling of disquiet grew in Madge. There was something wrong and she knew her father could feel it also. He spent more and more time in the Justice Building and encouraged her to spend as much time as she could down at the Hawthornes, despite Thread's visit. It was almost as if he wanted her out of the house and away from the Peacekeepers who would drop in at all times of the day. As if he felt she was safer amongst the Hawthornes in the Seam.

However, it wasn't until the night of the interviews that she saw true fear on her father's face. They were the strangest she'd ever seen; a mix of defiance and anger from the tributes along with a devil-may-care attitude. Her father grew paler and paler as the interviews went on but it was not until Katniss was on stage that he broke. She was twirling in her wedding dress in a move reminiscent of her interview the year before. However, this time instead of an illusion of flames, the dress was transformed into a mockingjay. Symeon swore and threw a lamp across the room in an uncharacteristic flash of temper that had her jumping in fright.

"What's going on, Daddy?" she asked in a scared voice.

"The tributes are fighting back," he replied, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"But surely the Capitol didn't expect them to go willingly back into the arena?"

"I think it was hoped that their anger would be directed towards Katniss and Peeta."

She remained silent, digesting her father's words as Peeta came out. He was all charming smiles and smooth words as usual, but Madge nearly fell off her seat as he told Caesar Flickerman that he and Katniss had been secretly married and that she was now pregnant.

"I have to go," Symeon said. He patted the top of her head distractedly as he passed by. "Go to sleep, sweetheart, and try not to worry."

But how could she not worry? She spent the night tossing and turning, welcoming dawn with tired eyes. She wanted nothing more than to go and see Gale but there was not much time until his shift started and she didn't want to burden him with her concerns as he was going down into the mine. The working conditions down there were dangerous enough without his mind being preoccupied with other things.

However, the mines got out early that day since the Games would start at 2 p.m., in the afternoon and they were mandatory to watch for everyone in the districts.

Madge made sure she was the Hawthornes at 1 p.m., and fifteen minutes later, Gale walked through the front door, looking as if he hadn't slept the night before either.

"Hey," he said as she rushed forward, tightly wrapping her arms around him and not caring about how much coal dust she would get on her clothes.

"What's wrong?" he quietly asked her once she pulled back.

"I'm scared, Gale. I'm scared of what is going to happen should these Games not go the way President Snow wants them to."

"Surely that would be a good thing," he said. "That would give the rebellion a chance to strengthen and other districts to rise up."

She could see the enthusiasm on his face and it knew he was thinking of what he could do in such circumstances here in District 12.

"But Snow would be desperate if this plan fails and a desperate man is an even more dangerous one. We're Katniss' district, Gale. We're first in line to suffer should she somehow comes out of these Games unscathed."

"Do you think they would try and seize Prim and Mrs Everdeen? Hold them hostage in return for Katniss' good behaviour? Everyone knows how much Katniss loves Prim – it's the reason she volunteered for the Games in the first place."

Madge shrugged her shoulders. "Possibly. All I know is that my dad is worried – and I mean really worried – and those interviews last night scared him."

Gale frowned then before bringing her back in for another tight hug. "It might be nothing," he murmured into her hair. "We might be panicking for no reason other than we expect the Capitol to hit us hard."

"We have reason to expect that, though."

"Yes, we do, but I don't think we should stress ourselves out too much on mere speculation. Go and sit with Posy while I wash up and change. Maybe she can turn your mind to other things."

Madge stuck her tongue out at him but went to sit with the two youngest Hawthorne kids anyway. If anything she wanted to help Hazelle distract them while the bloodbath that started any Games went on. No small children should have to see that – although the Capitol made sure that they did.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: ****This is it! The final chapter!  
**

**Many thanks to Hawthorne Whisperer for dragging me into this ship (should I be thanking you?! I feel I should be yelling at you instead) and for dealing with infinite patience to my many many messages about this fic.**

**Many thanks to the Gadge fandom for being super welcoming to both myself and this fic - you are a lovely fandom!**

**And finally, so much thanks to my lovely beta, swirlsofblack, who despite this fic growing twice as big as originally planned and being swamped in RL continued to selflessly donate her time to helping me with my grammar and awkward sentence structures. **

* * *

Madge's words didn't leave Gale's mind for the rest of that evening – even as he let out a sigh of relief that both Katniss and Mellark had come through the first day unscathed. He wasn't sure just when he'd started actively wishing Mellark would survive as well, but he found that he did. He shrugged it off as being concerned that Katniss would be devastated if something were to happen to him rather than actively wanting Mellark to live, but he knew that it was a convenient excuse.

The feeling of unease followed him through work the next day and the day after that. The Games continued on but it was obvious that the tributes were up to something. The alliance that had been built around Katniss and Peeta was holding and the other tributes were sacrificing themselves to keep the lovers from District 12 alive. It meant they had a plan and it made his disquiet grew.

By day three of the Games, even the mines themselves were quiet even quieter than when they reopened and the downtrodden and starving miners had worked seven days a week. It didn't help dispel his eerie feeling that something was wrong.

The management had been antsy, pushing the miners harder and harder since the reaping, almost as if they wanted the workforce to crack under the pressure. Then today, the senior management were not there. Only the supervisors from District 12 remained. This would normally have led to a more relaxed environment, any management from their district being a lot more lenient than their counterparts from other districts, but that hadn't happened today. The supervisors had been grim-faced and harsh, continuing to push the miners to their very maximum. It had left Gale's gut clenched with anxiety.

As he returned from work that evening, he was grateful that Madge was already waiting for him at his home. He dropped a brief kiss on the tip of her nose before making his way straight to the bathroom. Once cleaned and changed, he towed her outside for a walk in the Meadow.

"You're right," he said with no preamble. "Something is wrong."

"What do you mean?" she asked him, alarmed.

"The only management in the mines today were those from District 12. All the others had gone. Something about a training conference in one of the other districts, but if that was the case, why haven't any of the managers from 12 gone, too?"

"They need someone to run the mines."

"Yes, but why only District 12 managers? It doesn't make sense. It's almost as if the others have been withdrawn to keep them safe."

Staring off across the Meadow and into the woods that beckoned to him across the electrified fence, Gale felt a strong pull to go out there. It had been months since he had been under the fence and he missed the damp smell of the greenery, but, more than that, he missed the freedom he had to think under the trees. His thoughts were so stifled within the confines of the district fences and right now he needed nothing more than think unhindered.

Madge cupping his cheek brought him back from his thoughts. "I didn't mean to make you worry as well," she said, biting her lip before she gave him a wry look and continued, "Although I guess I should've seen that sharing my fears with you would only bring that result."

"I want you to talk to me about this stuff, Madge. I don't want you to try and protect me."

She smiled at that. "You already shoulder enough responsibility and I don't want to add to it."

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer to him. "You're not adding to anything. Besides, you are only so good at hiding your feelings…I'd be worrying about what you were attempting to conceal."

"Oh, you think I am that easy to read do you, mister!" she said with a laugh and poked him in the stomach. "I'll have you know that my poker face –"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the curfew siren going off. Gale frowned and glanced at Madge. "Did I miss an announcement about a curfew today?"

She looked just as puzzled as he did and shook her head. "No, nothing was said about a curfew."

Grasping her hand tight, he started to jog across the Meadow. "Come on. We have just about enough time to make it to my house."

"But I need to get home. My father will worry otherwise."

"Madge, we are on the other side of town from your house with a good few hundred Peacekeepers between us and it. Do you really think they are going to accept an explanation about a worried father as to why we are still outside despite the curfew being in effect?"

His words made sense, she knew they did, but something was telling her it was important that she get home tonight, that she needed to be with her family.

"Gale, I want to go home."

He stopped and cupped her shoulders. "I promise I would get you home if I could, but you know what happens to people who are caught after curfew. They get arrested, and if I am arrested again, I am sure Thread will hang me. They'll probably screen it into the arena, too, to mess with Katniss even further."

Both Gale and Madge had watched wide-eyed in horror as the interviews they had given during last year's Games had been skewed and relayed through Jabberjays to Katniss to make it seem as if they were being tortured.

She could see just how impatient he was getting with her desire to get home as well as the unease she was feeling, and she knew that they didn't have time to keep debating this – the Peacekeepers would already be sweeping the district looking for people who were outside when they shouldn't be – but she wanted to get home. Something told her that she needed to be there; that if she didn't go home now, she wouldn't get another chance.

"We need to move, Madge. I'll get you home first thing in the morning."

She looked briefly in the direction of Town where she could just about make out silhouettes of Peacekeepers moving out in all directions. Gale was right: there was no way that she could make it home without encountering them and she doubted they would be inclined to politely listen to her and then let her on her way. She also knew just how stubborn Gale could be. He would insist on coming with her and would then have to try and make it back to his own home so he could get to work the next morning. She gazed anxiously in the direction of her home before turning back to Gale and nodding, quickening her steps as they took off into the Seam.

Hazelle was pacing by the door with a worried look on her face by the time they made it home.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said as they burst through the door, breathing heavily. "I heard Peacekeepers down the main street five minutes ago."

"We came through the alleys," Gale said.

"Sit down," Hazelle said. "I'll get you both some food. We had ours already."

"Is Madge going to stay with us?" Posy asked, coming to sit on Madge's lap.

"Yes. We didn't have time to get her back to her house," Gale answered.

"You can share my bed if you like," Posy offered.

"I bet Gale wants her to share his," Rory piped up from where he was sitting on the sofa watching the Games.

Madge stubbornly refused to blush and both Gale and Hazelle sent him warning looks which had him shrugging and turning back to the TV.

"I'll take my mattress through into your room, Ma, and Madge can sleep there for the night."

"Where will you sleep?" Madge asked.

"You can top and tail with me," Vick said enthusiastically.

Gale groaned almost imperceptibly but Madge caught it. She sent him an amused look which had him sticking his tongue out quickly before he turned back to his youngest brother.

"Thanks, Buddy," he said, ruffling Vick's hair.

* * *

However, Gale was still awake hours later when everyone else had gone to sleep. He had tried going to sleep but the sickening feeling that something wasn't quite right that had rested in his stomach for two days now refused to allow it. Then there was the fact that Vick kicked in his sleep, which didn't help. So, he silently padded back into the living space and sat at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in his hands.

It was only because it was so silent that Gale heard the train. He frowned at the unusual night-time noise. Trains didn't leave District 12 in the middle of the night since it had been an outlying district ever since District 13 had been destroyed. No trains ran through the territory to deliver to another district.

Opening the front door, he stood on the porch and peered out into the darkness. It was a nearly a full moon and he hadn't lit any candles when he had gotten out of bed, so he could see pretty well. The Seam was slumbering as it always was at this time of night. The electricity was still on in Town and he could see that nothing unusual was happening there. No one was moving around under the street lamps.

It was by pure chance that he looked up into the sky as he was turning to go back inside and saw the small shapes appear on the horizon. He rubbed at his eyes, sure he was imagining it, but as he squinted back up, the shapes remained.

"Hovercrafts," he muttered to himself and all of the sudden everything fell into place.

They were going to take out the district and destroy it as they had done District 13.

Something must have happened in the Games. Gale ran to the TV and turned it on only to be greeted by a black screen. That was a mistake, surely? The channel ran 24/7 during the Games, the cameras always on to assuage the insatiable appetite of the Capitol for death and carnage.

However, it was obvious that the tributes had been planning something during the day and the cameras had decided to focus on the careers from District 2 almost as if they needed to keep the attention away from Katniss' group. The careers, too, had their own plans but now it was clear that something had gone wrong – something drastic enough that the Games were actually off air.

Horror overtook Gale, causing adrenalin to pump through his body.

Convinced now that something truly terrible was going to happen to the district, he banged on his mother's door and shouted," Ma! Madge! Get up! Get up NOW! We have to go."

His mother, sleepy eyed, came out to see what the fuss was. "Gale, what is it?"

"The Capitol has sent Hovercrafts, Ma. I think they are going to bomb the district."

"What?" she said, confusion clear on her face.

"We don't have time for explanations. Get dressed and get the girls dressed. I'll do the same for Rory and Vick."

Within a couple of minutes, Gale was hustling his hastily dressed family out the door. "Get to the Meadow," he ordered Rory, handing over the scissors and knives he had grabbed from the kitchen. "If they are going to hit the district, the power will go out. As soon as it does, start hacking at the fence and make a hole."

"Where are you going?" his brother asked.

"I need to go and get the Everdeens."

He saw Madge's anxious face. "Stay with my family. I'll swing by and get your parents, too."

"No, I'm coming with you."

This was the opposite of what he wanted but there was no time to argue. By now he could hear the quiet sound of the hovercraft engines. "Okay, but you do exactly as I say. No running off, alright? It's going to be dangerous."

She nodded and he grabbed her hand. He turned back to Rory and Hazelle. "Bang on as many doors as you can on the way. Get as many people to come with you as possible."

His mother pulled him in for a quick hug. "Stay safe, Gale."

"Don't worry, Ma, I'll meet you at the Meadow."

Mentally working his way around the district, Gale decided it would be quicker to get to the Victors' Village first, pick up Prim and Mrs Everdeen and then make it down to the Town and grab the Undersees. Hopefully, they would then have time to try and rouse as many people in Town as possible to follow them out.

As he worked his way through the Seam, Gale shouted at the top of his voice for people to get out and get to the Meadow. Doors and windows opened as people gaped at him in astonishment but he pointed up to where the hovercrafts were coming in closer and closer. He didn't have time to stay behind to make sure they understood what he was pointing out and he hoped the urgency in his voice and actions were enough to make people realise that he was being earnest. Madge kept quiet by his side. She knew that people in the Seam would take a warning from him a lot more seriously than any from the Mayor's daughter.

Gale and Madge made their way up to the mines, where a small path skirted off and up into the Victors' Village. They were running as fast they could, knowing that any time lost could be crucial. Just as the houses of the Victors' Village came into the view, the first bomb dropped.

They both halted as the boom sounded out across the district, ringing in their ears with just how loud it was.

"Oh!" Madge gasped as a brilliant ball of flame lit the bright sky, illuminating everything around them for a second.

"They hit the Town," Gale said stupidly.

He was sure they would've gone for the Seam first; it was the most populous area of District 12 and it was where Katniss hailed from. Mellark wasn't the symbol that Katniss was, so Gale had thought they would target her area first.

If they were going to make it into Town to get Madge's parents it meant they had to be even faster.

"We need to get moving," he called over his shoulder to Madge and then stopped as he saw that she was frozen to the spot, her eyes wide and her hand grasping at her throat.

"Madge!" He called urgently. "If we're going to get your parents we need to go now!"

"It's too late," she said, her gaze not moving from the flames that flickered up from the Town.

"What do you mean it's too late?"

"That was my house. They bombed my house first, Gale," she said with an eerie calmness that worried him.

He turned back to look at where the bomb had hit and realisation dawned on him that she was right. They had targeted the Mayor's house first and if they had targeted his house first they were definitely aiming to destroy the whole district.

Another bomb hit causing him to flinch at the noise of impact. It was followed in quick succession by another.

The electricity in Town flickered a couple of times and then turned off.

"They hit the power plant. Good! It means Rory can start working on the fence," he muttered before he felt guilty at finding anything good in the bombs that were dropping and had just wiped out Madge's home, killing her parents.

Madge hadn't moved in the minute or so they'd been standing there and he approached her slowly and carefully. "Madge, sweetheart, we need to go. We can't stand here any longer," he said softly.

"My parents," she said blankly. "They bombed my parents first. I should have been there. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Overwhelming relief that Madge had been with him and not at home washed through his body but he kept this to himself, knowing that this would not help Madge right now. Instead, he stroked a hand softly down her cheek and said gently, "I know and I'm so sorry, but if we are to make it, we need to get out of the district."

She pulled her eyes away from the burning building that had transfixed her since the first bomb fell and nodded. She wiped her fingers under her eyes and pulled her shoulders back. His heart broke a little at the stoic expression that came over her face and he wished he had the time to hold her and let her grieve for just a moment, but they had to move if they wanted to live.

"Okay, let's go and get Prim and Mrs Everdeen and get out," she said, her voice only wobbling on the word 'out'.

He had never been as proud of Madge as he was right at that moment. He reached out his hand and she placed hers in his, lacing her trembling fingers through his. He squeezed it tight before he turned back up the path, leading them once more as they ran to the Victors' Village.

Once they reached the first of the houses, it was a strange scene of calm. No bombs had fallen here and Gale could only think that it was on purpose – some strange whim of the Capitol to leave the village built for victorious tributes standing unscathed as they decimated the rest of the district.

Gale could see the clouds of dust rising as well as illuminated little pockets of fire where flammable objects had been hit, as the bombing of the Town continued. He noted in concern that the bombs had started to stray towards the Seam now. He needed to move quickly to make sure they made it back safely to the Meadow and out into the forest.

He glanced quickly at Madge, but she stood passively watching the destruction of the Town with no expression. He knew that look – it had been the one his mother had worn for the first couple of days after his dad died in the mines. It had a dreamy quality to it, almost as if everything that was going on around her wasn't real. His fingers squeezed hers tightly, trying to anchor her to him and to let her know that she wasn't alone.

"Gale!" a panicked voice called out. He spun around and saw Prim, a cloak bag in hand and fear on her face. "You came!"

"I wasn't going to leave you behind, Pipsqueak," he said in the most cheerful voice he could muster. "Where's your ma?"

"Just grabbing her herbs. Where are we going? They are hitting everywhere."

"The Meadow. The power is out so Rory and Vick should have made a hole in the fence by now. We need to get out the district."

As he finished his sentence, Ivy Everdeen appeared. Grabbing Madge's hand once more, Gale gestured for Prim to grab hold of her other one and then put her spare hand out for her mother.

The bombs continued to fall as they made their way back down to the Meadow and as they drew closer, Gale could see that large parts of the Seam had been levelled. Clouds of thick dust lay heavily in the sky. But he could also see a stream of people making their way to the Meadow and his heart rose at the sight.

As he weaved his way to the fence through the crowd of people milling about, he saw that a sizeable hole had already been made. His crewmate Thom was at the front, next to the Hawthorne family, trying to usher people through.

"Gale!" he said. "We're struggling to convince people to go through. They're scared of the woods."

"Listen up!" Gale said loudly to those closest to the fence. "We need to get into the woods and under cover. It's not safe here anymore."

"It's not safe out there, either," a voice called out from the back.

"It's a damn sight safer out in those woods than it is in here with the bombs raining down on us," he said, frustration bleeding into his voice. "Look! I know a place we can go. It's far enough away from the fence so that if Snow sends Peacekeepers in to finish the job, they won't spot us."

Another set of bombs fell, closer to the Meadow than any previously. "Do you really want to stay here and risk it?" he shouted.

Murmurs spread out amongst the crowd and then Greasy Sae appeared and said, "I trust Gale Hawthorne a lot more than I trust those hovercrafts. If he says we need to get out into the woods, I'm going."

With that, she made her way through the hole in the fence. Her actions seemed to sway the mood of the crowd who now surged forward, eager to get out as quickly as possible.

"Slowly and orderly!" Gale ordered as he and Thom started to organise the mob into a line.

His mother, Posy and Vick were the next through.

"Can you get them just into the trees?" he asked Madge as he pushed her to the front of the queue.

She nodded and said, "Yes."

"Good. Try and keep people calm and I'll meet you there when I get the last people through."

Squeezing his hand, Madge stared up at him, her eyes wide with the panic she was masking from her face. "Make sure you get yourself out, Gale. You are all I have left. I can't lose you, too!"

He bent down and gave her swift, fierce kiss before he nudged her towards the hole in the fence. "I'll see you in an hour or so, I promise."

* * *

It took a little over two hours to get everyone through and Gale's heart sunk as he counted just over eight hundred people. It was a fraction of the twelve thousand that had lived in District 12 just a few hours earlier. It also became clear that very few Merchants had made it out of Town, the blond heads a rarity scattered in amongst the darker hair of the Seam.

Once the last few people had made it through the fence, he waited another twenty minutes to see if there were any last-minute survivors. But as no more people arrived up the road, Gale, Thom and Rory finally climbed through the fence and went up into the trees, Gale taking a little detour to go and get the bows and nets from where he and Katniss had stored them.

The first person he saw was Madge, standing at the edge of the trees and staring out anxiously towards the fence. It was clear from the way her leg jiggled impatiently that the calm she'd been clinging to earlier had deserted her. As soon as she caught sight of him, she ran and engulfed him in a hug.

"When you took so long?! I thought something happened to you!" she sobbed into his neck.

He gathered her up close and said, "I told you I'd be here and that was a promise I had no intention of breaking."

She gave a watery gurgle at that and he tipped her chin up, kissing the tears from her cheeks. "I won't leave you alone. I'll make sure you're okay, Madge," he said and pressed a lingering kiss on her lips.

Keeping her hand in his, he strode to the front of the group. "We need to get moving," he called out, letting go of Madge's hand so he could take the sleepy Posy from his mother's arms and swing her up onto his shoulders, where she rested her cheek on the top of his head. "We have a long walk ahead of us."

He grabbed Madge's hand again, determined not to let her out of his sight for the foreseeable future. With her parents gone and who knew what had happened to Katniss, he and his family were all she had left and there was no way he was going to have her feel insecure about her place in his life. He then turned and signalled for Thom and Rory to bring up the rear, while he led the way to the lake with the cabin.

As he looked behind him, making sure that the lines of survivors were keeping up, he could see District 12 burning in the night sky.

The Girl on Fire's district was on fire but the Capitol would find that they all could burn as brightly as Katniss.


End file.
